The laning phase continued.

Following Yuel's plan, Kai first had to drive the Cleric out of the lane. Therefore, she used her wolf to quickly clear minions, then she shot the Cleric together with Vincent.

As the Support, Vincent took the frontline during these assaults. He soaked up all the damage from Renegade and Laplace’s retaliations. His top priority was to keep Kai as safe as possible and deliver her in a healthy state for her eventual duel against Renegade.

The risky aggression forced Vincent to sacrifice much of his HP, dropping him to a mere 40%. But, in exchange, he and Kai landed many shots on the Cleric.

Unfortunately, they didn't get any opportunities to outright kill the guy. Laplace was playing it safe, and he became even more cautious after noticing the obvious aggression toward him. As a result, it was impossible to score any kills on him and he constantly patched himself up with heals.

"Damn, his HP just refuses to go away," Kai ranted about the Cleric’s 70% HP. The numbers just refused to go down.

"As I foretold," Vincent nodded like a know-it-all. "We're unlikely to exhaust his HP. MP is the Cleric’s real lifeline."

"Yeah, I know, but still." Kai clicked her tongue. She wanted to thoroughly wreck that Cleric, to the point nothing would be able to patch him up, not even healing magic.

Unfortunately, Ranger didn't have any anti-healing options. Kai will definitely have to build some anti-healing later, but that’ll be more relevant around mid-game. For the early game, she prioritized power above everything. So, at the moment, she had no choice but to keep pushing through brute strength. 

"Do you guys need a hand?" Luke asked out of the blue. He has just finished farming the wolves near Bot, so he was nearby. It was no problem for him to lend a hand in Bot.

"That'd help a lot, actually," Kai said. "Come here and give them some heat. But, make sure you focus the Cleric, not the Slinger. I need the Slinger alive and well, so I can beat the living shit outta him myself." 

"Aye aye, cap." Luke saluted and headed toward the lane.

"Just make sure you do a safe gank," Yuel warned. "I suspect their Jungler is on the lookout, so you might get counter-ganked. If you extend too much, you'll have a hard time escaping."

"Indeed.” Vincent nodded and spoke dramatically. “Once he sets his eyes on you, the Storm Chaser will chase you to the ends of the earth! He shall catch his prey without failure, no matter how fast they are. Even if the prey runs away at the speed of light, then Storm Chaser shall exceed the speed of light!"

I bet Einstein is turning in his grave right now. Yuel made a face, but he knew Vincent had a point. It was best to be cautious around StormMonster. The guy even caught up with Lars last game and won their duel, so he was plenty dangerous.

"Alright, alright," Luke said. "I hear ya. I'll just go in, shoot a little, and then get out."

"Actually,” Kai said. “I was hoping for a little more than that. But, it works. Just make sure you focus the Cleric. That’s the guy we need to take out.”

“Yep, yep, I heard you the first time.” Luke nodded. “Alrighty, I’m on my way. Coming soon to the theater near you.”

Meanwhile, the enemy was about to make a move as well.

“I think we should retreat,” Rio suggested.

“You think so too?” Jaiden asked.

“They’ll probably gank soon.”

“Yeah, let’s back off a little.” Jaiden backpedaled from the center of the lane.

He had a feeling the enemy might come at them with a gank sometime soon, and the fact Rio agreed practically turned it into a fact. Rio had an acute sense of these things, so he was rarely wrong.

“They’ll probably go after me,” Rio said matter-of-factly before they even confirmed that a gank was really coming. Nevertheless, Rio was convinced enough. There was a small change in the enemy’s attitude just now, which indicated they formed some sort of plan. That was all the evidence Rio needed.

Until now, the Pyromancer and Lumimancer were focusing hard on Rio. They were undoubtedly trying to drive Rio out of the lane, probably to get rid of his heals and revive. After that, they’d probably proceed to attack Jaiden.

The enemies were very upfront with their calculated aggression, almost to a fault. However, all of a sudden, their pressure lost its edge. They still fired at Rio whenever they got the chance, but they didn’t press as hard as before. It was as if they suddenly decided to go easier on him, to make sure he won’t run too far away.

There was one common scenario in which a sudden change like that occurred in the aggressor’s behavior. It often happened when a gank was on the way.

To make a gank go smoother, it was better to not push the target too far away. On the contrary, it was best to lure them to the center of the lane, to make escape difficult.

That foreshadowing prompted Jaiden and Rio to retreat. At the moment, there was nothing of great value to be gained on the frontline anyway, so they didn’t lose much from retreating early.

Even if it turns out they were just paranoid about the whole thing, they won’t pay too dearly for it. They conceded a little bit of farm and gave the enemy an opportunity to push forward, but that’s all. Better safe than sorry. 

"Nash, be on standby," Jaiden requested. "If they try to force their gank to happen, you jump them."

"Ya got it!" Nash licked his lips. He hasn't done much this game so far, so he was hungry for some action. I hope these scrubs overextend real hard. Lemme feed on y’all!

"If possible, try not attacking their Ranger too much," Jaiden requested.

"Huh? What gives?” Nash cocked his head. “The Carry is supposed to be top priority, isn’t it?"

"I know, but not this time," Jaiden said. "I want to defeat her myself." 

"Oh, I getcha." Nash smiled wryly. "Okay, I'll do what I can. But, if I see a chance, I'm ganking dat ass."

"Sure. If there's a good opportunity, you better grab it." Jaiden nodded, albeit reluctantly. His hatred toward Beat didn’t blind him to the point he’d deny Nash an inviting kill, but he really didn’t want to see that happen. If that girl is really standing in Gunz and Chessmaster's way, I gotta beat her myself.

"........" Rio had a lot to say about this, but he swallowed his words. Not prioritizing the Carry during a gank? That was wrong on so many levels.

The trio’s strongest lines of attacks came to life once the enemy Carry was dead. It was like a signal for them to charge ahead. Therefore, the enemy Carry was always their top priority during the early-game. 

Yet, Jaiden dismissed that without a second thought. And, for what? Just to deliver some petty revenge on one girl.

Jaiden was all confused. Beat had nothing to do with the girl who took his spot on StormBlitz. It was misdirected hatred. It wasn't right.

But, Rio kept quiet. He couldn't find it in himself to openly criticize Jaiden, especially since no disaster has happened so far. They might pull just fine through this situation, even without focusing on the Carry like they usually did.

And so, Jaiden's group finished its preparations. Jaiden and Rio began their retreat, while Nash positioned himself nearby in the jungle, ready to jump at any overextending prey.

This defensive stance threw a wrench in the enemy’s plans.

"Crap," Luke cursed. “These guys already made it all the way over there? Damn, these bois are fast as heck.”

Luke finally arrived at the jungle entrance, but the enemy retreated too far away. It was impossible to lunch any practical gank from this position.

"It appears they saw it coming," Vincent deduced. "As expected from competitive players. They will not allow themselves to be caught off guard!" 

"Tch, what a pain." Kai clicked her tongue. All she wanted was to rough up the Cleric until he retreats from the lane. Was that asking for too much? Damn it. This is taking forever.

"Welp, I'll just help ya farm a little," Luke unleashed Flame Wave on the remaining enemy minions. The flames devoured the minions alive, leaving only ashes behind.

"Let's push," Kai suggested. "We got plenty of minions alive. We can make things happen."

"Wait," Luke objected. "Didn't our strategist bro just warn us against pushing too far?" 

"Yes, I did." Yuel joined their very interesting conversation. He had to be a part of it, or else somebody might commit a terrible mistake. "Don't push. I’m sure their Lancer is lying in wait somewhere nearby" 

"Yeah, I rather not risk it," Luke agreed. "Pyro kinda sucks at escaping, ya know. I mean, I bought Blink and all, but still."

"Then, what do you suggest we do!?" Kai ranted. This shit was so frustrating. How hard could it be to beat up one Cleric to a pulp!?

"Hmm." Yuel knotted his brows as he examined the area around Bot on the mini-map. He blocked out the noise his teammates were making and imagined a board in front of him.

Were there any strong lines of play available from this position? At the moment, the team had a Ranger, a Lumimancer, and a Pyromancer, all in one place. It'd be a waste to not put this group to use.

However, pushing ahead was out of the question. The Lancer will pincer them and will most likely kill at least one of them. If his Gae Bolg lands on either Kai or Luke, it'll lead to certain death. From there, the deadly trio will gain tremendous momentum in Bot, just like last game. Yuel couldn’t allow that to happen, no matter what.

Therefore, pushing the lane was not an option. Then, was there anything else this group could do in this position? Actually, there was one important fact to consider here. It was easy to overlook, but it could be used to great effect.

At the core of Yuel’s deduction, there was the assumption that the Lancer was lurking nearby. Nobody has spotted the guy yet, but he was obviously alone in the jungle at the moment. On top of that, his two accomplices were far away from any jungle entrance, for they were busy hugging their tower. This was an opening. 

If he's somewhere around here, it might work. Yuel examined the unwarded areas on the enemy side of Bot Jungle. The Lancer was lying in wait, outside the reach of the wards Yuel prepared. Nevertheless, the guy had to be close enough to the lane to be able to dash to the scene at a moment’s notice. By putting these two facts together, it was possible to estimate where the Lancer was positioned.

If he’s over there, then their “triangle formation” is far from tight. Yuel considered the distance between the Lancer’s position and the enemy Bot duo, who were hugging Bot Turret. Right now, they were far apart. The triangle’s forces were split into two.

This can work. Yuel nodded to himself. At the moment, Kai and the rest were closer to the Lancer’s position than they were to the enemy tower. There was an opportunity to mount a surprise attack.

"I have a plan for you," Yuel laid out the details. It was a gamble, but a relatively safe one. If it works, the payoff can be huge. If it fails, they'll just have to retreat from the area as if nothing happened.

"Sounds like fun." Luke grinned.

"As expected from Chessmaster!" Vincent nodded repeatedly.

"Let's do it," Kai agreed right away. She was like a starved hound who’d jump on any bone thrown her way.

Following the plan, the three of them ran into the jungle. They completely ignored the inviting opportunity to push and abandoned the lane. Needless to say, their opponents found that rather puzzling.

"Wut? Where are they going?" Nash asked. He was watching the enemies via the X-ray vision, but their movements didn't make any sense. “Am I missing something? What are they up to?”

"Going for Dragon, maybe?" Jaiden guessed. Honestly, he couldn't tell what the enemy was thinking either. Maybe they thought they could steal the Dragon easily because they were grouped up? If so, they were in for a big surprise.

"Hmm." Rio had a bad feeling about this one. It felt like the enemy trio was aiming for something more decisive than trying to take Dragon. They moved into the jungle like a group of manhunters. Maybe they’re planning to... But, who would normally do that? There’s no way. I don't think that's the case. But still...

In the end, Rio kept quiet. He felt like the mere act of suggesting the idea might cause paranoia.

Alas, the enemy proved his hypothesis correct, as unlikely as it sounded.

"I shall illuminate this world and reveal all that is hidden! 《Solar Wrath》" Vincent cast his ult dramatically.

It was a map-wide spell attack that hit every opponent, regardless of their distance from Vincent. Solar rays pierced through the sky, creating five pillars of light across the map. Each of them torched one enemy without failure.

Since Vincent's build was that of a Support, he didn't pack much magic power. As a result, Solar Wrath didn't deal much damage. But, thankfully, dealing damage wasn't the main goal behind firing the ult. What really mattered, was the fact Vincent hit every single opponent with a spell.

Upon hitting an enemy with a spell, Lumimancer's passive, Illumination, kicked in. It revealed the position of the hit target for a brief time, almost as if a ward was planted on their back.

Since Solar Wrath hit every single enemy, Illumination’s effect extended to all of these hits. In other words, Solar Wrath was like a map-wide ward. It exposed the entire enemy team!

Among the exposed enemies was the Lancer, whose position Yuel could only roughly estimate until now. Now, thanks to Solar Wrath, everybody on the team knew StormMonster's exact position. The hunt was on!

The only downside to using Solar Wrath for gaining this knowledge was the risk of telegraphing the team’s intentions. That’s why Kai, Vincent, and Luke had to get closer to the target before booting Solar Wrath.

With this, the enemy surely understood that the trio was planning to mount an attack. But, will they be able to respond in time?

"Ah!" Rio jumped. T-That ult! Then, it gotta be...! There was no other explanation. There was little to no point in wasting Solar Wrath if that group was headed to the Dragon. No, their real goal was...!

"Nash, I think they're coming after you!" Rio warned and broke into a dash toward the jungle. If worst comes to worst, he'll have to revive Nash.

"Oh shit, seriously?" Nash grinned, but his grin twitched a little. He was honored to become such an important target. It was like in those video games, where the player was an outlaw and could get an army of policemen chasing him all across the city. Nash had an entire department coming after his ass!

And, unlike in the games, these policemen were actually kinda smart. They only made it clear they were coming after him after they have already gotten close enough.

"Why hello there." Luke appeared before his target. He blinked through the wall to get to the Lancer first. It was a bit risky, but he knew what he was doing. His pals were right behind him, so there was no need to worry about the Lancer retaliating.

"Wha-!? Ya gotta be shitting me!" Nash booted Lunge in a panic and jumped the hell outta there. He was confident he reacted pretty fast, but the Pyromancer's Flame Wave still grazed Nash and shaved off a nice 20% from his HP.

Shit! Nash cursed entirely. This damn Pyro must’ve stacked heat like crazy to get this much damage off a single spell!

“Sorry, guys!” Nash landed far away from his pursuers and broke into a dash. “I’m outta here!” There was no way he could take on three enemies all by himself.

“Yeah, good call.” Jaiden followed in Rio’s footsteps in case Nash needed help, but that proved to be unnecessary. “Rio, let’s head back as well-”

“Ah!” Rio jumped. Before he registered what happened, his Cleric was already on the ground, pinned down by a savage wolf. “They got me.”

“Where did they even-!?” Jaiden couldn’t believe his eyes. Instead of chasing Nash like everybody expected, the Ranger and Lumimancer set their sights on Rio.

You fell for it, huh. Kai opened relentless fire at her defenseless prey. The Cleric couldn’t retreat or use his heals. This was great! Kai could now tear this guy to shreds and remove him from the lane!

That was the goal of this plan all along. It was a multi-layered tactic that involved a diversion, and it successfully caught the enemy off guard.

So, they lured us in by pretending to target Nash!? Jaiden’s jaw dropped. Was that for real? Who could possibly come up with a tactic so bizarre!?

Actually, there was one person. Chessmaster, the strategist with unusual tactics. He had exhibited his unconventional thinking many times against the Leopards last year, and here it was again! It was awesome!

Finally, it felt like Jaiden got to clash with the ex-StormBlitz duo for real. This game won’t be a breeze like last time. These guys meant business now!

The situation was dire, but Jaiden was secretly brimming with joy. He’ll gladly take on the challenge Chessmaster prepared for him. He’ll find a way to save Rio and shatter this crafty tactic to pieces!