The Jungler's Distraction

Just as Jin concluded that he'll be able to get away from his pursuer, an unexpected invader appeared.

"Hey there." Hawk popped up from the jungle.

"Huh? What do you think you're doing here?" Ignis scowled. "I told you to not interfere."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to," Hawk promised. "I just gonna spook this brat a little. If he sees me blocking this path, then he'll have to change his escape route, right? Should make it easier for you to finish him off."

"Heh, that's not a half-bad plan, coming from you."

"Danke, danke." Hawk smiled meaningfully. [But, if the kid comes any closer to me, then I gonna hit him with everything I got. After all, I'm here for one reason and one reason only: to repay this brat for last time. So, if I can get my revenge with my own two hands, then all the better.]

Still, even preventing the brat from getting away alive would be sweet enough of revenge. What kind of expression was this cocky kid wearing right now? It was a delight to imagine.

The kid noticed Hawk's presence right away. Nonetheless, his movements didn't slow down in the slightest, as if he saw it coming all along.

[I expected a gank sooner or later.] Jin thought. [But, I didn't think it'd it to come from all the way over there.]

Hawk didn't gank the lane from any predictable angle. Instead, the guy showed up deep inside Jin's territory, waltzing in through the jungle entrance as if he owned the place.

[He has been contesting my wards there for a while now.] Jin recalled. [He knew I didn't have vision there, so I couldn't see him coming.]

Based on Jin's research, Hawk has always been a wildcard like this. He arrived from unexpected places and delivered the unpredictable ganks. That's why it often felt like he was "at the right place, at the right time".

[I suppose it's in part because he often counter-jungles.] Jin connected the dots only now.

In many of the cases in which Hawk seemed to magically appear "at the right place at the right time", it happened because he often counter-jungled throughout the match and got away with it. Hanging out in the enemy's jungle created many unexpected opportunities for him to strike.

The allied jungle was always a gray area in that sense. It was supposed to be under the team's control, but it wasn't as tightly defended as the lanes. As a result, the enemy Jungler could easily sneak in and counter-jungle for extended periods of time, provided he paid careful attention to the position of the enemy Jungler.

So, Hawk exploited that weakness. It was easy to do in this game, where the skill gap between the two Junglers was huge.

[He cut off my fastest escape route.] Jin frowned. [If I keep heading straight to the tower, he'll most certainly ult me. Then, Ignis will catch up while I'm stunned and they'll finish me off together.]

Heading directly to the tower spelled imminent doom, that much was a fact. But, what other options did Jin have here?

[If I turn around and fight Ignis, the situation will still become a 1v2 in no time.] Jin reasoned. [And, even if they take pity on me and let me 1v1 Ignis, I still have a high chance of losing.]

At 60% HP, he had very little chance of defeating Ignis who was sitting on full health. Even though Ignis was barely at the skill level of a Korean C-Leaguer, she was still up there. As such, Jin couldn't possibly hope to defeat her, not with this HP gap.

[My only other option is to flee toward the jungle.] Jin glanced to his right, toward the jungle entrance near the center of the lane. Perhaps, if he slips in there, he'll be able to get away from both pursuers.

[I should've rolled in that direction back when Ignis started her attack.] Jin regretted his hasty decision.

He dismissed the idea earlier because he didn't have enough time to consider all the factors. However, now, it was clear that rolling toward the center of the lane would've been the superior play in this situation.

Not only it would've canceled out the possibility of Ignis pushing him into the wall, but it would've also played around Hawk's gank. Indeed, it could've killed two birds with one stone. Truly, a wasted opportunity.

[But, what's done is done.] Jin focused on the situation in front of him. It looked doom and gloom, but he had to keep searching for a solution until the bitter end.

It was then that he saw a ray of hope. A small and unreliable ray, but a ray nonetheless.

The team's Jungler, Average, was heading toward Top.

[Right, the captain asked him to rotate here.] Jin recalled. He didn't pay much heed to that interaction at the time, since he had absolutely no intention of relying on that unreliable Jungler.

However, the situation has changed. Under the new grave circumstances, borrowing the unreliable Jungler's aid was Jin's last hope, as sad as it sounded.

"Average," Jin called out. "Please focus on Hawk when you arrive. But, don't spend your Gae Bolg right away. Keep it as a threat."

"Yep, that's the plan." Average nodded. "Also, the name's Dan."

"Right, Dan. Thank you for the help."

"You welcome, bro!"

In truth, Jin couldn't care less for the Jungler's name. Average wasn't some skilled player whose name was worth remembering. In fact, normally, a player of that caliber wouldn't even be allowed to play on the same stage as Jin.

However, due to the unusual circumstances of this match, Jin had no choice but to borrow this Jungler's help. Therefore, the least he could do was to act politely toward his helper.

[Alright.] Jin directed his gaze toward the distant tower. [Let's try to break through. Honestly, I doubt Average will do a good job keeping Hawk busy. But, at least, the threat of his ult should put enough pressure on both opponents.]

And so, Jin took the gamble and ran straight ahead, right toward the dangerous Vampire ahead of him. It might've looked like a suicidal move to others, but this was the best option he had in this situation.

Naturally, his opponents didn't think much of this play either.

"Heh, look at this brat." Hawk snickered. "The disrespect, I'm telling you. He actually expects to get past me."

"Maybe it's because you're that bad." Ignis wore a smug. "He knows he can't get past me or beat me in a fight, so he's risking it all on getting past the weaker player. It makes perfect sense, right? Haha."

"Heh, you keep laughing. We'll see who gets the last laugh when I get into A-League before you."

"Hah, you wish."

[You'll eat your words one of these days.] Hawk promised. [But first, this cocky brat over here needs some spanking. Who does he think he is, judging me as "weaker"? A kid like you has no right to judge a pro's skill level. I'll prove that to you right here.]

Hawk wasn't the best out there when it came to duels, but he was an expert at apprehending fleeing foes. As a Jungler, he was obligated to polish such techniques to perfection.

[So, I can say one thing with confidence.] Hawk asserted.[ No matter what you try to pull - you're not getting away, kid!]

Hawk's ult came back online by now. So, using it would be the easiest and most efficient way to apprehend the brat.

But, Hawk was a pro and his opponent was just a kid. Also, this was a 2v1 situation. So, Hawk merely had to slow down the boy enough for Ignis to catch up, and it'll be an easy kill from there

As such, going for his ult would be a waste in this situation. Night Hunt was Vampire's ultimate tool for ganking, so it was best to keep it online until the juiciest of opportunities presented itself. The current situation hardly justified it.

[I'll just have to hit you with my other stuff.] Hawk aimed his Hungering Horde at the approaching escapee.

[No, wait.] Hawk stopped himself as he recalled their precious exchange. [Unlike the other kids here, this one is good at predicting attacks. I can't just casually shoot something at his face.]

It may have seemed like overkill, but it was necessary to take such factors into consideration against this particular brat. No matter how much Hawk wanted to deny it, this Korean pipsqueak wasn't too far from a C-Leaguer in terms of skill. So much, that it was almost reasonable for him to seek the pro scene at such a young age.

[But, I'm a B-Leaguer.] Hawk asserted. [Maybe I'm still a "newbie" in this league, but my skill was recognized back in C-League; that's how I got here. So, even if this kid is C-Leaguer level - he got nothing on me!]

"Hey Igny," Hawk called out. "Does the kid have his Dodge Roll?"

"Yeah, he got it," Ignis confirmed. She could tell that much for sure because her own Dodge Roll already came out of cooldown. The kid last used his Dodge Roll shortly after Ignis did, so it surely went online by now as well.

"Okay." Hawk nodded to himself. [The kid is probably waiting for my attack with his finger already on the space bar. In that case...]

Hawk held off the Hungering Horde. Instead, he approached his foe and fired a regular bat, his basic attack.

From the look of things, the kid didn't quite expect that. Unlike his usual sharpness, he completely failed to respond to this attack.

[So, he's not opening with Hungering Horde or his ult?] Jin frowned. [Alright, I see how it is. He respects my Dodge Roll.]

Jin was ready to use Dodge Roll the moment something came flying at him. In fact, he nearly went for Dodge Roll against that basic attack just now.

He only stopped himself at the last moment thanks to the slight difference in the startup animation. Though there were some similarities, it was still possible to tell apart the Vampire's basic attack from his Hungering Horde.

It required acute concentration, though. Jin had to actively expect the possibility of a basic attack in order to be able to analyze the minute difference in the heat of the moment.

Fortunately, despite expecting Hungering Horde, Jin also considered the possibility of a basic attack. Thanks to that, he spotted the difference in time and continued running forward instead of wasting his Dodge Roll

As a result, he took direct damage. However, getting hit by a mere bat was no big deal for him.

And so, the escape effort continued. How was the enemy going to continue from here?

"Huh." Hawk made a face. [Maybe I gave him too much credit? He didn't react to the shot at all. Logically, he should've been waiting for an opportunity to roll my skill, but nope. Hmm. Maybe he took a guess and assumed I won't go for the skill right away?]

That was the most reasonable explanation. In fact, something like that would explain a lot of the impressive plays Apprentece has pulled throughout the day.

In short, the kid was good at making educated guesses based on prior information. It was becoming increasingly obvious that he studied the Sweepers before coming here. So, it wasn't surprising at all that he knew a thing or two about how Hawk usually played.

[So, do I go for Horde now?] Hawk wondered. [No, that's the classic, isn't it? One basic attack, followed by an immediate Horde. Way too predictable. I bet that's exactly what this kid gonna guess. Then again, it'll be a problem if I don't do use Horde now...]

The approaching Knight was already a short distance away. Soon enough, he'll pass past Hawk. At that point, the situation will turn into a chase.

As such, it was best to slow the kid down before that happens. Otherwise, he might actually slip past them.

[This is all too much thinking.] Hawk scowled. [When in doubt, it's always best to keep things simple. Less thinking, more action.]

Instead of mulling over whether to throw out a basic attack or to go for Hungering Horde, it was far easier to pick the one option the kid won't be able to dodge no matter what.

[It's a bit of a waste, but oh well.] Hawk shrugged. "I'm going for my ult."

"Seriously?" Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a waste to me, but you do you."

"Get ready to smack him hard once I grab him."

"No need to tell me twice."

Hawk already half-pressed the key for his ult. But, just then, his Sentry Ward spotted an invader arriving from the jungle. It was the enemy Jungler, Average!

"Oh shit, it's a counter-gank!" Hawk gently removed his finger from the key, careful to not trigger the skill. "Damn, looks like I can't ult, after all."

"Huh? What are you afraid of? Just stun this Chinese kid and I'll kill him real quick."

"Sorry, but I prefer to not set myself as a sitting duck for Gae Bolg."

As Ignis suggested, it'll be easy to kill Apprentece with Night Hunt. However, that'll require Hawk to stand in place and keep the Knight pinned down.

In other words, he'll be an easy target for anything the enemy Jungler decides to throw at him. And, that included Gae Bolg, which was no laughing matter.

[It's no joke getting hit by that thing.] Hawk thought. [It gonna weaken me so hard that even Average might be able to get a kill on me. I mean, sorry, but I have no plans to die to either of these kids.]

Hawk considered how the situation will look three steps ahead from now. And so, the best course of action revealed itself.

"If I miss this shot," Hawk warned. "Let's focus the Lancer instead."

There was no time to wait for a reply. Hawk fired Hungering Horde at Apprentece despite how predictable it was.

[It's finally here.] Jin spotted multiple bats forming around the Vampire's hand. In other words, Hungering Horde was coming!

Jin rolled forward, right underneath the pack of blood-thirsty bats.

[That should do it.] Jin sighed in relief. [The only other CC he got is his ult, but the threat of Gae Bolg should discourage that line of play.]

That was the end. Thanks to the slight distraction from the team's lackluster Jungler, Jin successfully got away from that terrible position. Perhaps this once, and this once only, Average deserved some praise, just a little.

However, in actuality, the battle was far from over. Little did Jin know that the enemy was already prepared for this development. They were one step ahead.

Fortunately, somebody on the team did realize that.

"Dan, jump out of there!" Howard cried out.

"Huh!? O-Okay, gotcha!" Dan had no idea what was going on, but the urgency in Howard's tone was enough to convince him. [I bet something is coming, and it's coming fast!]

Without wasting a moment, Dan leapt out of the area. He used Lunge to cross over the nearby jungle wall.

This speedy response caught the enemy off-gaurd.

"Wha-!?" Hawk exclaimed. His finger already pressed the critical button. His ult activated, turning him into a giant bat. [This isn't how it was supposed to go...]

The enemy Jungler wasn't supposed to suspect a thing. The plan was to focus on him in case Apprentece got away.

But, somehow, Average saw through Hawk's plan. Now, Hawk was the one who found himself in an awkward situation.

[Well, I already booted this thing, so might as well chase one of them.] Hawk compared the two options.

Apprentece already got close to his tower, so pursuing that kid was out of the question. On the other hand, Average was still inside the jungle. Sure, a wall stood between them, but Hawk could fly around it.

And so, he tried his best to give chase in bat form. Alas, it proved futile.

Even though this form could fly over walls, it had to gradually ascend upwards first. Unfortunately, flying upwards was nowhere as fast as jumping, so it took Hawk some time to get over the wall.

In fact, it took so long that it was barely any faster than going around the wall on foot. Therefore, by the time Hawk reached beyond the wall, it was already too late.

"Damn, he got away," Hawk reported.

"Must be Wardy's doing." Ignis nodded with a proud smile. "You should've used your ult earlier, back when the Chinese kid was running toward you. It's all your fault, you realize that, right? We let both of them slip away because you took your sweet time."

[Wait a minute, who was it that agreed with me it's a "waste" to use my ult in this situation?] Hawk made a face, but he didn't retort.

Even though Ignis's hypocrisy was through the roof here, in the end, it was Hawk's decision when to use his ult. And, he made a poor decision, no two ways about it.

At the end of the day, he got outplayed. The Korean brat had enough mechanical skill to get past Hawk, whereas Average was trained in the arts of defense, so the kid knew how to swiftly evacuate from dangerous situations.

[I underestimated both of them.] Hawk admitted. [So, instead of paying back for last time, I now got yet another score to settle with that Korean kid.]

Hawk could barely believe it himself, but he was actually getting all competitive-like against this kid. Pretty absurd, right? But, that's how slick that brat was.

[Oh well.] Hawk shrugged. [Team fights are around the corner. That's where I'll farm up all the reputation points I lost.]

Meanwhile, for the examinee of this match, that was pretty much his last chance to farm credit points.

[Not the best outcome.] Jin thought. [But, not the worst, either.]

In the end, despite all the action, the situation in Top remained a stalemate. Jin didn't triumph over Ignis, but neither did he outright lose to her.

In a way, the fact Jin successfully enforced a stalemate against a pro attested to his remarkable skill despite his young age. Surely, no other kid from the region could put up a fight like this against Ignis.

But, will this result be enough to convince Ronshfeld and the Sweepers' coach? Will they evaluate Jin as a fitting player for any of the company's pro teams...?