APGD 10

Chapter 10

99th Year Pro Gamer

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Park Yong-won clicked his tongue as soon as the ban-pick phase ended.

“Tsk, tsk. Look at the way they’re banning. They’re just brainlessly targeting Dosu.”

“It’s fine. I expected that, so I haven’t even been playing ranked on my main account.”

There’s a saying: Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.

In other words, it was only natural that the opposing team would look up our match history. We’d done the same with them.

“This is probably the toughest team we’ve faced so far. Their laning will definitely be tight from the start.”

The enemy mid laner had held Challenger rank for two seasons straight.

The rest of their players were sitting in high Grandmaster.

Just in terms of “weight class,” the gap was overwhelming.

On top of that, the enemy team looked like they’d been playing together for quite some time.

But.

We still have a chance.

BOL wasn’t a game decided by raw power alone.

In the end, it came down to what strategy you’d prepared and how well your team could execute it.

And right now, our greatest strength lay exactly in that strategic edge.

For days, we had been grinding to adapt to the new meta faster than anyone else.

Individually, we might be weaker, but in terms of utilizing the meta and controlling the game flow, we had the upper hand.

“We’ve prepared hard against stronger teams. Let’s prove that BOL isn’t just about raw power.”

This was exactly why “upsets” happened so often in pro tournaments—where a lower-seeded team takes down a higher-seeded one.

Besides, they had wasted three bans on me, essentially walking into the trap I had set.

I was confident we could win.

And clearly, my teammates felt the same.

“I didn’t expect to run into a team this strong so early, but we’d have to face them eventually if we wanted to climb higher. Just think of it as meeting them a little earlier.”

“As the ADC, I’ll take responsibility for the team’s DPS! Je-hyeop, let’s just survive the laning phase early!”

“Don’t worry! I had a solid breakfast this morning, I’m in top condition. Feeling great today.”

“See, Sang-jun? This is why I say you’re too cautious. Real men play with confidence! I don’t care who their top is—I’m gonna crush them from the start! Let’s go all out!”

The team’s morale was already sky-high.

And then—

Thump! Thump!

The enemy finished their picks, leaving only my choice.

I reviewed the ban-pick phase in my head.

We got everything we wanted.

Their draft was also within expectations.

Perfect conditions to test our new comp and strategies.

I decided to put the finishing touch on it all—by picking the most extreme champion possible to cover our team’s weaker weight class.

“The unseen blade is the deadliest.”

Hearing Chad’s pick line, I couldn’t help but smirk.

I’ll have to end mid lane as fast as possible.

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Welcome to Summoner’s Rift.

With that heavy narration, the game began.

Han Moon-sang and his teammates spread out toward their lanes.

He pressed [TAB], scanning the enemy lineup.

Renekton, Nidalee, Kalista, Alistar…

A lineup stacked with early- and mid-game strength rather than late-game scaling.

But what shocked him most—

They dared to pick Chad against me?

The enemy mid, “TacticMaker,” had locked in Chad as his final pick.

Chad was an extreme assassin—ninja-themed, designed to focus everything on deleting a single target.

But that also meant his weaknesses were glaring.

He was deadly in 1v1 skirmishes, but in 5v5 teamfights, he fell off hard.

And eventually, his power naturally dropped off—his expiration date.

That was why people called Chad an “extreme” pick. He had to win in the early-mid game.

And yet, TacticMaker had locked him instantly—without hesitation.

Even after seeing that Moon-sang had already picked Jayf, a champion considered one of Chad’s worst matchups.

“I picked Jayf first, and he still had the guts to pick Chad? That’s way too cocky.”

His teammates burst out laughing at Moon-sang’s irritation.

“Looks like Moon-sang’s been provoked.”

“But seriously, he’s not wrong. That Chad’s not even going to be able to breathe early. Guess being a former jungler means he doesn’t understand mid lane matchups at all?”

They were right.

Until he hit his power spikes, Chad was just a fragile melee champ—completely outclassed against a ranged harasser like Jayf.

“Maybe all his mains got banned, so he panic-picked?”

“Ha! That means we’re the victims! Why’d they waste bans on Fox, huh? Hahaha!”

“Anyway, look at their draft. They’re not playing for late-game at all. They’re clearly planning to end early.”

Early victory or bust.

Sure enough, their draft showed that intent.

Moon-sang grinned.

“If they want a quick game, we’ll give them one. Let’s crush them in fifteen minutes.”

At 1:05 in-game time—

Minions have spawned.

The first wave marched down the lanes.

Moon-sang stretched his wrists, steadying his breath.

Hoo.

His ritual before every laning phase.

But just as he was focusing in—

“What the—?! There are two top laners up here!”

Their top laner’s panicked call rang out.

Moon-sang blinked.

“Huh? Two went top?”

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At the start of a game, the three key lanes were Top, Mid, and Bot.

Excluding the jungler, the remaining four players were split across those lanes.

Top and Mid were solo lanes. Bot was the traditional ADC + Support duo.

But—

“Their bot duo went top?”

“What, they’re doing a lane swap?”

Lane swap—a strategy where top and bot laners switch lanes.

The moment his teammates realized it, they groaned.

“Great, this game’s gonna get messy from the start.”

“Are they insane? What do they think this is, Ruining Ravens or something?”

“Guess they don’t trust themselves to win in standard lanes.”

Lane swap was a high-risk strategy. One slip-up could ruin everything.

And the rewards weren’t even guaranteed.

Yes, bot lane would get to farm safely, but top would be left alone to suffer.

In the end, it came down to: How much could the bot duo grow? And how little would the top lose?

So they think a lane swap will give them the edge?

Moon-sang frowned deeply.

He could understand not wanting to play standard against them.

But of all the strategies, they had chosen this?

Lane swaps required precision. Any mistake could turn the blade back on its wielder.

It was a double-edged sword. Something only top-tier pro teams could reliably pull off.

For mid- or low-level teams, it was practically suicide.

What are they even thinking? Picking Chad into me and now this? Too arrogant.

The skill gap between the teams was already clear.

They were just a makeshift roster who had recently added a mid laner.

Against his team, who had been grinding strategy day and night, they were nothing but a sandcastle.

“Top, just hold on alone for now. I’ll crush their mid and then roam top.”

Moon-sang was confident. He’d studied lane swaps endlessly from pro leagues and Worlds.

He glared at the screen, his determination blazing.

“Bot, pressure their top as much as you can and take the turret fast.”

“Roger that!”

“Trying to copy pro teams like this is kinda cute. Guess they wanted to show off they’ve watched Worlds.”

“Alright, I’ll just hug tower top and soak XP.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll bulldoze bot fast. Time for a proper beatdown.”

The voices of his teammates carried energy and confidence.

The flow was good.

Moon-sang cleared the first wave cleanly—

But then—

“Wait, what?!”

“Something’s off!”

This time, it wasn’t top calling.

It was from bot.

“What’s wrong?”

His ADC answered immediately.

“Their top laner—he’s not here in bot.”

“What!? What do you mean? Didn’t they swap? Maybe he’s just hiding in the bush?”

“Nope! Don’t you think we’d check the bush first? He’s really not here.”

Moon-sang quickly shifted his screen toward bot.

Sure enough, the enemy top laner was nowhere to be seen.

Not under tower. Not hiding.

Then where—

His thought was cut off by a scream from their jungler.

“Wha—?! Shit! Why the hell is Renekton in OUR jungle?!”

There he was.

The enemy Renekton ambushed their jungler mid-clear.

It was like a battalion that was supposed to be guarding the east front suddenly launching an ambush from the west.

Whack! Whack!

Basic attacks and skills shredded their jungler’s health bar.

Already fighting jungle monsters, he was down to barely a quarter HP.

He had no choice.

Flash!

He abandoned the camp and barely escaped, forced to burn his summoner spell.

“Damn it! What the hell is this bullshit strategy?!”

Moon-sang sat stunned.

So it wasn’t a lane swap?

Were they really sacrificing their top’s farm just for this?

Giving up waves of minions—just for an ambush?

Confusion rattled his thoughts.

And then—

“Crap! Their jungler’s already here too! I’m not even level 2 yet, I can’t stop a 3v1 dive—!”

The disasters kept coming.

First Blood!

Their solo top had been helplessly tower-dived and killed.

What the hell…

Moon-sang’s face went pale.