APGD 03

Chapter 3

99th Year Debut
Pro Gamer

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I tilted my head slightly as I read Park Yong-won’s reply.

[Coincidentally, I have a Challenger mid friend next to me right now. I want to test something out, so if you’re really confident, please send a friend request to the nickname ‘IncheonHoneyFistSheriff’.]

A sudden proposal for a 1v1 mid duel.

And on top of that—

A Challenger mid?

I never imagined they’d bring in a Challenger player for the test.

But honestly, it was nothing more than “unexpected.”
Truthfully, it didn’t bother me much.

No matter the format, no matter the opponent—
as long as I could prove my skills, that was all that mattered.

So—

-Yes, understood. I’ll send a request right away. But I’ll need 3–4 minutes to quickly set up.

I accepted the proposal without a shred of hesitation.

Bzzt!

[Okay, got it. I’ll create the room in advance, so come in once you’re ready.]

After checking the text, I set my smartphone down on the desk.

Still, I should finish my in-game settings first.

Just like professional singers who step on stage with their in-ears, mics, and sound systems fully tuned—
pro gamers also need proper setups before entering a match.

And it isn’t limited to hardware like a mouse or keyboard.
In-game, there are countless small settings: mouse sensitivity, keybinds, interface scale, minimap placement…

All of these “tiny” details ultimately have a massive impact on performance.

Besides, my current settings are completely different from the days I struggled with aftereffects.

I logged in and sent a friend request to the nickname Park Yong-won mentioned.
Then, for setup, I created a private practice room.

I picked a random mid champion and entered the game.

[Welcome to Summoner’s Rift.]

The narration that still stirred my heart even after decades.

I immediately began moving my mouse swiftly, loosening up my hands.

But still… why is Yong-won ranked Grandmaster?

After texting him earlier, I’d quickly looked up his account.
His rank was low Grandmaster.

Honestly, I was shocked.

Even if he hadn’t debuted yet, I couldn’t imagine a world where Park Yong-won wasn’t Challenger.

Sure, before joining a team and receiving real coaching, he’d been hopeless aside from raw mechanics…

But when I first met him at N+9, didn’t he crush solo queue purely through mechanics?

Again, I wasn’t talking about his post-debut skill.
I was referring to when we first met as 2nd-team rookies.

So a low Grandmaster rank didn’t make sense.
It wasn’t like he had too few games played either.

Well, I’ll find out the reason as we play together.

Curiosity was there, but that wasn’t the priority now.
Right now, I needed to hop on this last train and join the team.
It was my turn to prove my worth.

First step: defeat this Challenger friend of his.
Preferably, with an overwhelming margin.

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A few minutes passed.

[TacticMaster has entered the room.]

As planned, TacticMaster entered the private room Kang Woo-seok had created.

Park Yong-won raised his brows, exclaiming in surprise.

“Oh, he actually came?!”

To be honest, when he suggested a match against a Challenger mid, he thought the guy would chicken out.

Was it true confidence, or just stubborn pride?

Realistically, there was no way he could win.
Still, curiosity stirred—just how well could this guy hold up against a Challenger mid?

Woo-seok wore not just confidence but a cocky grin.

“Even if I spot him 100 HP, it’s still so easy.”

Then he typed in chat:

-Any champion you’d like me to pick? I’ll give you a handicap. I can handle you with any champ.

A taunting kind of generosity, meant to get under his skin.

But—

-I’ll pick ‘Nine-tailed Fox.’ No need for handicaps. Just choose your strongest champion.

TacticMaster didn’t waver at all.
Instead, he boldly declared his own pick first.

-You do know our ranks are miles apart, right? For your mental health, you should accept the handicap…
-That’s just a difference in rank, not necessarily in skill. I’m fine.

Woo-seok’s brows twitched hard.

“This bastard… saying skill doesn’t differ between a Master and a Challenger? And telling me to pick counter? What kind of guts is that?”

He had expected Nine-tailed Fox, having checked his match history.
But still, he intended to show some mercy by offering handicaps…

Instead, Woo-seok immediately locked in his best champion, LeBlanc.

“This guy’s seriously asking for it.”
“What, you’re actually going with LeBlanc?”
“Yeah. He’s way too cocky. I’ll crush him so hard he won’t breathe.”

Cracking his knuckles under his headset, Woo-seok’s eyes glowed faintly with fire.

Moments later—

[Welcome to Summoner’s Rift.]

The game loaded.

“Yong-won hyung, hey!”
“We’re here!”
“Heard you found a GM mid, so we ran over!”

Park Yong-won’s teammates arrived one by one, smiles on their faces.
The good news had everyone full of expectation.

Still seated in his gaming chair, Yong-won turned his head slightly.

“Oh, you came?”

One teammate leaned on his chair.

“What’s this, you’re gaming already?”
“Not me. Woo-seok’s doing a 1v1 mid.”
“A 1v1? With that GM mid you mentioned?”
“No. Someone just contacted me earlier wanting to join our team.”

He gestured toward Woo-seok’s monitor.

“Since he’s only Master rank, I was gonna ignore him. But Woo-seok was bored, so he’s testing him.”
“Eh? Master? But your friend’s Challenger. Isn’t that a total mismatch?”
“Yeah. But… he said he could handle it, even against a Challenger.”

The teammates laughed.

“Pfft! The nerve! Confidence against a Challenger? Ballsy.”
“But wait—Nine-tailed Fox vs LeBlanc? Isn’t Fox way worse in that matchup? How the hell is he planning to win that?”

Interest sparked, they all watched quietly behind.

Naturally, Yong-won’s gaze returned to the game.

A matchup way worse for Fox, huh…

He stroked his chin.

True enough.

Both Fox and LeBlanc were AP assassins with burst damage.
But their mechanics differed.

Fox relied more on ally synergy.
LeBlanc, however, had a kit suited for solo dominance.

In a pure 1v1, LeBlanc had the upper hand.
If both players were equally skilled, LeBlanc would win 6 or 7 out of 10 times.

On top of a rank gap, he’s at a champ disadvantage too.

If it were a team game, with a jungler like Yong-won intervening, things might be different.
But this was strictly 1v1.
Pure mechanical skill would decide it.

The match might end quickly.

As expected, Woo-seok pressed aggressively in lane from the start.
Confidently using abilities, as if he’d mastered the matchup completely.

It was clear why he was a Challenger.

But then—

“Ooh! Look at Fox’s dodging!”
“Wow, that movement just now! So smooth!”
“Damn! He avoided the kill setup just now!”

The team gasped.

TacticMaster had cleanly dodged two of LeBlanc’s core abilities—
using nothing but champion movement.

Something in the air shifted.

What the…?

He continued to play as though he read every one of Woo-seok’s intentions.
Perfect spacing, crisp skillshots, flawless control.

This is supposed to be Master level?

Woo-seok unleashed relentless offense, but TacticMaster didn’t falter.
Even while dodging, he struck back with sharp counters.

Woo-seok hadn’t expected this much impact.

Wait. He’s… way too good.

Woo-seok had fought countless pro gamers in solo queue.
He was even known among them as a “LeBlanc specialist.”

Yet this guy was keeping up blow for blow.

So he wasn’t just all talk…

Three minutes of fierce back-and-forth passed.
Both champs were now under 30% HP.

Finally—
TacticMaster slipped.

His positioning faltered, leaving him seemingly exposed.

Woo-seok pounced like a predator spotting prey.
Everyone thought this was the end.

Whoosh!

But as LeBlanc lunged, TacticMaster perfectly countered with a crowd-control skill.
His timing and mechanics were flawless, as if he’d memorized every frame.

“Wait—did he just cancel LeBlanc’s ult with Fox’s Charm?”
“No way! He reacted to that?!”
“Hold on… doesn’t this mean LeBlanc’s the one about to die?”

The teammates shouted.
Even Yong-won gasped.

“Holy shit! That actually works?!”

Though he wasn’t Challenger, Yong-won was still a Grandmaster.
He caught every subtle detail the others missed.

That “mistake” from earlier?
It wasn’t a mistake at all.

He… lured it on purpose?!

A perfectly calculated bait.
A psychological trap.

Goosebumps ran down Yong-won’s arms.
His fingertips tingled with excitement.

And then—

[Aaaargh!]
[First Blood!]

LeBlanc’s death cry rang through the speakers.
Woo-seok’s screen turned gray.

“Wha—?!”

His hands froze.
His trembling eyes and flushed face betrayed his state.

The team erupted.

“Insane!! He turned the kill around?!”
“Holy crap, that reaction time and skill management are god-tier!”
“What the hell? Didn’t he say he was just Master Fox? He’s way too good!”

Even Park Yong-won was stunned.

Woo-seok lost to Fox while playing LeBlanc…?