🔊 TTS Settings
Episode 95
Debut: 99 Years
Pro Gamer
The Eagles’ booth was filled with a cold, oppressive silence.
The atmosphere was freezing.
On the monitors, the final team fight replay kept looping endlessly, piercing their ears sharper than any noise could.
Each player was glued to their screen, replaying the previous match in their minds.
Coach Kim Young-min, who had been giving solo feedback busily, finally closed his mouth.
“…….”
He paused the replay at the exact moment that decided the match: Lee Do-soo’s five-man provocation.
Positioning, vision, timing.
The three elements combined perfectly—a god-tier initiation that continued to haunt their eyes.
Even if he had been in the game himself, could he have avoided that?
No.
Honestly, he probably would have suffered the same fate.
‘Tactic-maker Lee Do-soo…’
His superplays throughout the game seemed to forcibly unleash the potential of the other ‘parachute’ teammates as well.
He wasn’t just a mechanically skilled player.
Even with champions lacking direct damage, like Galio, he dominated the entire game and carried his team.
He read the map, anticipated opponents’ minds, and had the judgment to lead his team to victory at decisive moments.
A player with both monster-level mechanics and brainpower—a talent on a completely different level.
‘Where on earth did this guy come from all of a sudden?’
Kim Young-min clicked his tongue in frustration.
His head was spinning.
Lee Do-soo hadn’t even picked a solo-carry assassin or mage.
He hadn’t even blocked the strategy of diving into the top lane (the weak point) on his own.
The thought of how to adjust the ban-pick immediately gave him a headache.
“Coach?”
At that moment, Jo Yong-joo’s voice snapped Kim Young-min out of his thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, right……”
Leaning against the booth wall, Jo Yong-joo spoke. His voice was a mix of cold analysis and restrained anger.
“How about we target the bottom lane instead of top? For mid, Je-hyun can lock in a pick and just focus on CS.”
“Target bottom instead of top?”
Ha Je-hyun bristled at that suggestion.
“Wait! You want me to lock in a pick? This mess started because we tried an aggressive top dive, didn’t it?”
“That’s separate. You were already losing the mid lane from the start. Plus, the opponent picked Galio. Am I wrong?”
“That’s……!”
Ha Je-hyun bit his lower lip, unable to argue further. Grinding his teeth, he turned his head sharply.
Ignoring him, Jo Yong-joo continued, addressing Coach Kim Young-min.
“Coach, judging from their setup today, they seem to have prepared a carry-type for top in case they lose lane. As for the tactic-maker, they seem to have Galio ready, capable of both sitting and teamfight-making.”
It was a flawless analysis. While Ha Je-hyun might be quick in split-second decisions, Jo Yong-joo’s brain for reading the game was unmatched.
Kim Young-min raised one corner of his mouth.
“Not a bad idea. It looks like they anticipated us going heavy on parachute picks. Sticking to the same strategy would be foolish.”
“Exactly.”
“We’ll keep Lee-Bin and Chad as fixed bans for the second set, but let’s change the remaining ban to Galio.”
Ha Je-hyun’s eyes nearly doubled in size.
“!?”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect Galio to carry this much in the remake. Je-hyun might feel his pride bruised, but we’re going with the respect-ban route.”
“Coach……!”
“This isn’t about lane dominance! The Galio pick from the tactic-maker introduces too much ‘variance’ in teamfights, so we cut it!”
While Be-ing had made a pentakill in set one, leaving a strong impression, the real ‘disaster’ in the expert’s eyes was Lee Do-soo’s Galio.
Flawless laning, godlike initiation, and ultimate timing—his in-game influence made the other four players almost supporting roles by comparison.
“I’m not saying you’ll be physically outmatched in lane! We just want to reduce variance in teamfights!”
Ha Je-hyun reluctantly nodded.
“Yes…….”
Though his dissatisfied tone grated on the ears, there was no time to argue. Each set’s break was barely over ten minutes.
“And Yong-joo.”
“Yes, coach.”
“Turning your attention to bottom means you’re confident in your top 1v1, right?”
“Yes. Honestly, I was surprised their top had better mechanics than I expected, but I’m confident I can dominate lane if I pick the same carry-type.”
“So you want the same carry-type as the opponent?”
A carry-type: strong in laning, devastating in 1v1 or small skirmishes, but weak in standard teamfights.
Jo Yong-joo’s eyes widened.
“We’ll go mirror-carry against them and explode in the 1v1s.”
“Okay.”
Kim Young-min turned his gaze to the bottom members.
“You guys okay with that plan?”
“Yes, as long as the jungle camps bottom, we’re fine!”
“Me too! Their bottom’s more aggressive than expected. There might be more openings there than top.”
Kim Young-min stood abruptly.
“Alright, let’s change the approach this time. Be extra careful with the tactic-maker’s movements and call it out together.”
“Yes, coach!”
“Forget the first set! It was just an accident. Remember, our team’s overall strength is much higher!”
He added quickly:
“No one wants to lose humiliatingly, right?”
“Of course not!”
“Absolutely not!”
The team’s voices were cold, but their eyes burned with a fiery determination for set two.
The bitterness of defeat was slowly transforming into a thirst for revenge.
Kim Young-min smiled with satisfaction.
“Good! Let’s repay double in set two what we lost!”
Shaking off the gloomy mood, the Eagles team left the booth.
At Ball Park, ready for the start of set two, the studio’s energy was at a fever pitch, thanks to the high-skill and impactful first set.
The Bears’ fandom was especially electrified.
“Ahh! This is why I’m a Bears fan! That final teamfight still gives me chills no matter how many times I watch it!”
“Tactic-maker’s Galio five-man provocation was insane! That initiation was unreal!”
“Exactly! Honestly, it was impactful enough to play at a funeral later!”
“During that top dive, saving with Heroic Descent was spine-chilling! Aggressive bottom lane and Be-ing’s pentakill too. This team is actually insane!”
“Why are you ignoring the jungle? Apart from the tactic-maker, the jungler carried like a tank. As a fellow jungler, I have to give credit.”
Seong-yeon Seo’s lips twitched unconsciously at the praise.
Behind her rational mask of the ‘Ball Goddess,’ her heart burned passionately.
‘Wow…! Bears Rookies’ full roster is this strong?’
Before the first set, she had assumed beating the Eagles, even with reinforcements from the second team, would be difficult.
Even through the early laning phase, her opinion hadn’t changed.
The Eagles’ team strength was high, and their composition looked bleak.
But Lee Do-soo’s carry power far exceeded her expectations.
Despite the disadvantageous state, he dominated lane and displayed insane superplays in teamfights, leading his team to victory.
Her anxiety melted away.
“Seo-jung, I told you! Even if Eagles bring the second team, our Do-soo will carry! Seriously, Bears Rookies are contenders this season!”
Next to her, Rajan joked.
Seo-jung remained calm, maintaining her composed tone.
“Yeah—maybe not contenders, but their team strength is higher than I thought.”
“What’s with that tone? You’re not mad that Bears won, are you?”
“Why would I be? Of course I’m happy Bears won.”
“Geez, she’s so warm to fans but icy with us.”
Wild laughed loudly beside Rajan.
“Seo-jung, we’re just business, remember? Heh. Time to get used to it, man.”
As the Bears’ streamers chatted, the commentator’s voice boomed through the stadium.
[Bears Rookies are one step closer to a crucial opening victory!]
[Yes! The first set was close but spectacular!]
[The losing Eagles Rookies chose blue side!]
[Let’s see the ban-pick for set two!]
All eyes turned to the massive central screen.
The Eagles, with side choice, used their bans first.
[Eagles’ first ban is Lee-Bin!]
[Last President’s Cup, Lee Do-soo’s mid Lee-Bin was incredibly impactful!]
The second and third bans targeted Chad and Galio.
[Whoa…! Banning Galio?]
[Wow! Eagles show respect with the respect-ban!]
[Lee Do-soo also received POG in the first set, so this seems like a smart move.]
Rajan nodded.
“Eagles are good at ban-pick. They have the right to pride, and look, they respect-ban immediately.”
Once all bans were complete, the Eagles’ first pick was ‘Lissreal.’
As the ADC’s main and core pick, it was expected.
Now it was the Bears’ turn for first and second picks on purple side.
Seo-jung swallowed nervously.
‘What will they pull out this time?’
The Bears’ teamfighting in set one was impressive.
But Galio, their core for victory, was banned.
‘They better have another card ready…’
Wild seemed to share the concern, scratching his head unconsciously.
“Do they have another strategy? I hope they go safe this time… don’t pull something weird—”
Then, the Bears’ pick screen lit up.
Without hesitation, two champions were instantly confirmed.
Doom strikes like the wind… always by my side….
No one can stop me!
The screen revealed the swordsman ‘Ryoso’ and his partner ‘Alnista.’
