There he is, just like I thought. Jin nodded to himself.

As expected, Hawk showed up in the middle of the lane. Not even a second later, a bat was already flying toward Jin! But...

A shallow shot. Jin didn't even try to dodge that one. He simply swung his blade, cutting the bat in half.

A parry!? Hawk jumped. Also, is it just me, or did he dash a little forward after parrying?

Hawk has seen countless parries throughout his career, so he could tell something was off about the way this kid moved after that successful parry.

The Knight's attack animation got canceled early following the parry, which was normal. But, on top of that, the Knight also apparently stepped forward immediately.

Normally, it should be impossible to move again that quickly after using a parry. But, that Knight definitely jumped forward a little as soon as he parried. That had to be...

The famous Korean Step Cancel. Hawk figured. Man, this kid really means business. Em was right on the money, I better take this one seriously. I got so used to fighting the other kids today that I almost let my guard down.

Hawk flipped a switch in his head. Instead of just attacking quickly for the sake of attacking quickly, he slowed down his shots and aimed carefully.

Against Top Laner pros, it was necessary to fire well-aimed shots which weren't too obvious. Anything too predictable will simply get sidestepped or parried.

Here goes! Hawk fired a proper, pro-level bat!

I can't parry this. Jin concluded in the last split-second. He stayed his hand to not slow himself down with a whiff, but it was futile. He already wasted too much time analyzing the incoming shot to determine whether it could be parried.

I might’ve been able to sidestep it, but it’s too late now.

The bat rammed into Jin's side. It was a clean hit, befitting a pro Vampire player.

Looks like one parry was enough to make Hawk take me seriously. Jin thought. For the better or the worse, he's not as stubborn as Ignis.

Another bat darted toward Jin. There was no time to rest!

I’ll have to start guessing here. Jin randomly sidestepped to the right.

He didn’t have the necessary reaction speed to reliably dodge a pro’s shot, especially not while he was on the run. Therefore, guessing in which direction to juke was the most he could do.

Lucky! Jin successfully dodged the bat. His guess happened to be on point.

Damn! Hawk cursed internally. Was it luck? Or, are you telling me this kid can actually juke my shots? Nah, no way... right?

Hawk fired another bat. And, yet again, the brat sidestepped it while running.

This dang kid, I swear. Hawk chuckled nervously. No way a middle schooler can dodge my shots like that. It gotta be blind luck!

And, unbeknown to Hawk, his opponent was thinking the exact same thing.

Looks like I’m lucky today. Jin thought. But, this isn’t exactly a 50/50 guess. The odds are slightly in my favor.

In theory, guessing in which direction to sidestep had a 50/50 chance of working. However, that only held true against robots. All humans had patterns, and Hawk was no exception.

Good thing I checked his tendencies ahead of time. Jin nodded to himself.

Amidst his extensive research of the Sweepers, Jin made sure to examine the pros’ attack patterns in detail. Especially, he was interested in the players who employed ranged attacks. Namely, Argus, Esmeralda, and also Hawk, who seemed to like picking ranged Junglers based on his high pick rate of Vampire, Ranger, and Drow.

Naturally, the goal of the research was to find weaknesses to exploit in the attackers’ patterns. Ranged players were often laxer because the range advantage made them feel safe. As a result, some of them didn’t have particularly polished shooting techniques.

Unfortunately, Argus had a very high-level execution that was difficult to deal with. And, Esmeralda’s shooting patterns made little to no sense, to put it lightly. She didn’t seem particularly high level, yet her shots worked oddly well, even against opponents who were competent at parrying. As such, Jin couldn’t find any obvious weaknesses to exploit.

That left Hawk, whose execution was decent but a little rough around the edges. His shots liked following certain patterns, probably subconsciously. Jin noticed that detail when one pro player juked all of Hawk’s with great success, reading the guy like a book.

And so, after studying that match extensively, Jin was now using the same tactic as the pro who countered Hawk.

As I thought, he likes shooting to my right during these situations. Jin sidestepped to the left in the nick of time. Thanks to his research, he juked three shots in a row.

However, by constantly moving to the left, Jin found himself pressed against the border of the map. His shoulder grazed the outer border as he ran.

This isn't just a random habit. He likes shooting to my right side because that pushes me away from the jungle side, making it harder for me to escape.

But, the specifics didn't matter right now. The important part was that Jin successfully juked all three shots in a row, and finally got close enough to his foe. From here, he'll begin his counterattack!

At the time, his opponent had no idea what was coming...

"Man, this kid, I'm telling you." Hawk shook his head as he aimed at Apprentece for the fourth time. Did he just seriously juke three of my shots in a row? That's some bull. Is he actually predicting them or just reacting to them? I can't even tell.

This was starting to look insane. Hawk’s mechanical skill was plenty passable for B-League. It wasn't anything outstanding but it got the job done.

In fact, among all the B-Leaguer he has faced so far, only a handful of them managed to juke his shots repeatedly. Hawk chalked up these situations to bad luck and unusual enemy skill, so he didn't think too much of these occasions.

And yet, right in front of his eyes, some middle schooler was recreating the same kind of scenario. It was absurdity in the making.

C'mon, don't tell me I have some kind of tic I haven't noticed. Hawk frowned. Well, no point getting distracted by that right now. If I haven’t noticed it until now, then there’s no way I'll figure it out on the spot here. Better focus on landing the last few shots I can.

Hawk’s prey was about to slip past him, completely unharmed. He couldn’t allow that to come to pass.

Igny will chew me out if I let her opponent get away unscratched, especially after I skipped on defending her lane. Hawk gulped. Alright, time to start landing them shots! 

Hawk started moving toward his distant opponent with confident strides. Despite how bad the situation looked, there was no reason for concern. After all, Hawk was the predator and Apprentece was the prey, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Alas, due to that very confidence, Hawk failed to anticipate what came next.

"Wait, wha-!?" As Hawk started approaching his foe - a shield flew straight at him! And, the shield had a human attached to it! It was the Knight, charging forth with Shield Bash!

Is this kid actually attacking me!? Hawk couldn't keep up with this sudden turn of events. By the time he pressed to Dodge Roll - it was already too late. The shield rammed into him and stunned him on the spot!

Unbeknown to Hawk, this was actually the enemy’s plan all along.

Alright, let's see how far I can go with this. Jin followed up on Shield Bash with Blade Swing, slashing through the defenseless stunned Vampire.

In a matter of seconds, he brought his opponent down to 80% HP. And so, the HP gap between them wasn't that big anymore. They almost stood on equal ground here. As such, it was reasonable to challenge Hawk to a duel under these circumstances.

"Haha, this kid is bonkers!" Hawk exclaimed. You're totally underestimating me, aren't you? No, I can't have that. I mean, I got my reputation to consider. Ronshfelt is watching, so I can't show him anything embarrassing.

As soon as he broke out of the stun, Hawk rolled away from his blood-thirsty opponent. Apprentece was already in the middle swinging his blade a second time, so he couldn't change the blade's trajectory at that point. And so, Hawk successfully dodged the second slash.

You're wide open! Hawk fired a bat as soon as he recovered. The plan was to hit the kid during his recovery animation, but...

"Wait, what?" Hawk blinked in confusion. He was 100% sure he nailed that quick shot. I saw where he was standing and that's exactly where I shot, but...

Somehow, the brainless bat flew right past the target and missed its mark.

Is that his KC shenanigans at work? Hawk wondered. That was the only explanation for what just happened. There was no way Hawk would miss such an easy shot otherwise.

Apprentece shouldn't have had enough time to recover and sidestep that shot. Hawk knew that for certain, for he mained ranged Junglers and faced countless melee opponents.

I'm starting to see why Ignis had so much trouble against this kid. Hawk smiled wryly. This KC thing sounds like a small deal on paper, but it breaks certain conventions we’re used to. I feel like it’s extra efficient against us, pros, who rely so much on our accumulated experience.

Unfortunately, this was no time to admire the kid's tech. Right after Hawk's bat whiffed, the enemy went for another attack! There was no rest for the wicked!

So, he’s really planning to go all the way, huh. Cocky little...! Hawk recognized the Knight’s next move. It wasn’t going to be another slash. Instead, the Knight raised his weapons.

"LET US FIGHT HONORA-" 

No thanks! Hawk booted up Coffin Slumber right in the enemy's face.

The Vampire summoned a coffin out of thin air and hid inside. The coffin provided full immunity to both damage and CC, so the taunt of Honorable Duel failed to affect him. It was a panic button move, but it was the best he could do in this situation.

I can't believe this little bastard forced my hand like this. Hawk clicked his tongue. The irritation was getting to him.

Fortunately, Coffin Slumber gave him a moment to relax. It was time to gather his thoughts and reevaluate the situation.

So, this brat is hella confident about his fighting skills, huh. Hawk analyzed. He’s pretty good, I gotta hand it to him. The way he moves and reacts to things is top-tier, and that KC also messes me up all the time. Frankly, I would’ve never believed my opponent is a middle schooler if I didn’t already know.

So, what’s next? What was Hawk’s best course of action from here? He started off this operation as the predator but Apprentece has been turning the tables, one slash at a time.

I still got the HP lead, but it’s not a big lead. Hawk reasoned. We’re going to be face-to-face once he forces me out of the coffin. He’ll have the advantage from that range. My HP lead is barely going to be enough to compensate for that.

Aside from HP, Hawk held two more advantages over his opponents. Namely, his two remaining skills: Hungering Horde and Night Hunt. 

On the other hand, the enemy has already spent both Shield Bash and Honorable Duel. So, Hawk actually had more options here.

The only thing he still has going for him is his ult. Hawk concluded. But, that’s only good for escaping or chasing, so it won’t help him beat me in a fight.

Considering all these factors, Hawk clearly held the upper hand overall. And, he was the pro player here, so of course, he’ll be able to beat Apprentece in a duel, right?

That’s what I’d normally say, but I still haven’t gotten a good read of how strong this kid actually is. Hawk frowned. So far, he countered everything I threw his way. But, that’s probably just a stroke of bad luck, combined with me not being used to KC. If I keep fighting, I’m sure I can take him down.

It was a tempting situation. Beating the kid to a pulp would make Hawk look good after Ignis failed to do that earlier. It should also make up for all of Hawk’s earlier mess-ups.

It may be immature of me to get this serious against a kid, but I really wanna smack this brat hard. Hawk smiled boldly. This kid is way too cocky. Somebody gotta show him his place.

The more Hawk thought about it, the more he was convinced - he wanted to tear Apprentece apart and make this brat look bad. It gonna be a sweet, sweet revenge for making Hawk look bad.

You chose the wrong opponent, kid. Hawk snickered. Once I step out of this coffin, then you’re dead meat! Though, I gotta say, I’ve been sitting in this coffin for quite a while now…

Apprentece should’ve forced Hawk out of the coffin by now. After all, every second the Vampire spent inside the coffin replenished his HP. Therefore, to prevent the HP gap from growing any further, Apprentece should have been knocking hard on the coffin to force Hawk out.

And yet, Hawk got to spend quite a while in the coffin. He had plenty of time to sort out his swirling thoughts and even arrive at a solid conclusion.

It was good and all, but why? How come Appretence was giving him all the time in the world?

He’s right next to the coffin and he has been menacingly moving around it, but he isn’t attacking. Hawk frowned. I’d understand if he used this opportunity to run away, but he isn’t. He chose to stay behind, so he clearly wants to continue the fight. And yet, he’s allowing me to heal HP for free. How come?

Hawk instinctively glanced at the mini-map. Where did their Jungler last show up? If memory serves, he was somewhere in the lower parts of Top Jungle, heading upwards.

In other words, there was a very good chance that Average was on his way to the lane.

I see what you're going for. Hawk broke out of his coffin and fled toward the jungle. "These kids are trying to pincer me, so I'm out." 

"Sure." Ignis made a face. "Thanks for all the amazing help."

"Haha, soz." Hawk felt bad about this, he really did. This entire rotation turned out to be a huge waste of time. Not only did he fail to slow down the enemy minions, but he didn't even deliver any damage on Apprentece. It was a legit shitshow.

Looks like I have no choice but admit that this Korean kid is actually pretty decent. Hawk sighed. I can't believe a middle schooler can play at this level but I can't argue with facts. He's not the kind of opponent I can just willy-nilly attack.

Just Hawk was about to reach the jungle entrance and evacuate from the area for good, the enemy Lancer made his appearance!

"I'm going all in against this dude!" Average jumped high into the air and aimed his spear. "I'mma block the jungle entrance, so you pincer him from behind!" 

"Alright." Jin followed up on the play, albeit reluctantly. 

If he had more time, then Jin would've advised a different course of action. But, it was too late to change anything now. Average already jumped in.

It's my own fault for not anticipating this. Jin sighed. I expected too much from this Jungler. I thought he'll know how to correctly adapt to the situation.

The moment Hawk figured out the plan and started evacuating, the gank's success rate plummeted through the ground. It was pointless to continue with that plan at this point, so Average should've just called it quits.

Unfortunately, the guy didn't get the memo. That's why he already jumped over the wall without thinking, planning to crash on Hawk. It was an exercise in futility.

The plan itself isn't that terrible. Jin had to admit. If he successfully scares Hawk away from that jungle entrance, then we can pincer him and deal some good damage. But, a play like that won’t work at pro level. Especially, not against an escape artist like Hawk.

"GAE-" the Lancer started shouting while in midair. But, as Jin predicted, Hawk smoothly reacted to the situation without being shaken.

So, he wants to cut me off? Hawk realized in an instant. Cute idea, but it not gonna work.

He rolled forward, sliding right into the Jungle entrance.

"-BOLG!" the Lancer came down crashing into the gap between the two walls. The plan was to either crash on Hawk if he gets this far, or to block the escape path.

However, Hawk denied both options by getting ahead of the checkpoint. His Dodge Roll carried him into the jungle itself, far beyond the entrance.

I'm out. Hawk retreated to his side of the jungle, to his territory.

With that, the enemy's pincer attack fell through.

"Dang, I was so close!" Average exclaimed.

"Yeah," Jin said indifferently. This whole operation was my idea, so I won’t criticize his decision-making too much. Let's just pretend he did well and move on with the program. It was an “alright” play for his skill level.

This wasn't going to be Jin's main team, so there was no point criticizing every little play his temporary teammates made. In fact, as long as these players performed at least half-decently and didn't drag Jin down, it was already a blessing.

Besides, this Jungler still has another use for me. Jin thought.

Truth to be told, he didn't expect this gank to go too smoothly in the first place. Therefore, the gank wasn't the only reason he went through the trouble of summoning the Jungler here.

"Since you're already here," Jin said. "Can you please defend the lane for one wave? I want to recall."

"Sure thing, man." Average nodded.

"Thank you." Jin began recalling right in the middle of the lane without wasting any time.

Ignis has already approached the lane, so she saw Jin's obvious recalling animation. But, that didn't matter. Rather than wasting time on a weak attempt to conceal his Recall, it was best to return to base as quickly as possible.

I just hope this Jungler won't immediately lose all the lane advantage I've gained. Jin frowned. Really, playing with unreliable teammates is so tiring...

That’s why Jin absolutely had to pass this exam and join the pro scene. He couldn't stand playing alongside amateurs who needed babysitting.

Even though he was younger than his teammates, his skill was at least five years ahead of theirs. It was a depressing reality.

While Jin was gearing up in the base, Ignis made her way back to the lane, right in time for the next minion wave. For now, Average will have to protect the lane all by himself from her...