“No, what is this? Mid Nautilus.”
“It seems like they picked Gwen top to fill the lacking tank lineup.”
“Do you think it’s a good pick?”
“While the ap coefficient has been significantly nerfed, making it unviable as a dealer, there’s plenty of room for Nautilus to shine with the recent buffs to his base stats and tank items.”
[Para tanking too?]
[Well, I’ve been watching since Hako’s era, and he’s never done it.]
[? He had 1000 viewers from the first stream, what’s this Hako talk?]
[ seriously, guys with beef ㅈ대노 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Yeah, you can try to slander, but I’ve watched Para since the beginning~]
[Nautilus Taliyah, the laning might be quite intense?]
“The Para we know has always been a player who picks carry-oriented champions and shows off flashy plays, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll show this time.”
“If this pick succeeds, teams that have to face Ark in the future will have a tough time. It’s not something that can be countered with bans—AP, AD, dealer, tank. The champion pool is vast.”
TOP: Gwen
JG: Ugong
MID: Nautilus
AD: Aphelios
SUP: Lulu
VS
TOP: Oryun
JG: Sejuani
MID: Taliyah
AD: Jinx
SUP: Renata
“Please give us an overall evaluation of the ban/pick phase.”
“Even though Nautilus came out mid, it was a sufficient ban/pick phase with BU having something to say as well.”
“Indeed, the Taliyah pick looks good.”
“Agreed. Taliyah alone can counter the top body of Ark with many mobility skills, and with Renata, BU definitely has many advantages.”
[Last pick Taliyah good, right?]
[Is the caster really sure about Gwen?]
[Anyway, since Para will carry, we should practice using a tank sometime]
[ seriously, if the ADC goes down in the next patch, we won’t have anyone to tank]
[Yeah, if you can’t play Gnar, you’ll never make it to the LCK~]
“Then, let’s watch the game!”
[Nautilus pick, but not going in?]
[Not even Brusillgold, and why would grabbing alone mean they go in? ㅋㅋㅋ]
“The early lane phase seems to be flowing smoothly…”
“Eh? Lesser player, having finished the raptor clean, is waiting in the mid bush using stealth…”
“Is he setting up a jungle gank on mid? If Nautilus misses the grab, mid and the jungler could be in serious trouble…”
“Yet…Taliyah has overstepped the mid-line… Wow, Para!”
[Wow ㅅㅂ]
[What just happened?]
[That’s some crazy timing! ㅋㅋㅋ]
“Using the fact that the basic attack motion is not smooth—more precisely, using the large passive basic attack motion, he landed a quick basic attack cancel and grab.”
“From here, if Taliyah loses her flash, it will become hard to pressure like this.”
“It’s been less than 3 minutes into the match, yet mid is already cleared.”
“Truly an amazing player.”
[If Nautilus ultimate hits, Taliyah will just keep dying right?]
[Yeah, those kind of ultimate setups are hard to react to]
[Para… does that make Nautilus your strongest hero too?]
[What’s that mean?]
After a fierce team fight at the herald, although Ugong died, Ark achieved a great victory.
With about 15 seconds left until Ugong respawned, Kim Dojin stretched and glanced to the side for a moment.
“…Amazing.”
Debut match or not, without any change in expression, the same cool face from when she first entered the practice room was now leading the game.
To be honest, Kim Dojin’s initial expectation was, “She’s pretty, but she could be a bomb that might ruin the team.”
Frankly, he thought anyway that promotion this season was impossible, and he was planning to leave the team as a free agent next year.
But…
“It’s different.”
Although Kim Dojin was only a second-year professional gamer in the second-tier league, he could clearly tell that this player was different from all the mid laners he had previously played with.
This is why the coach had expected something different for the summer.
“Is this what they mean by star power?”
A beauty that even the average entertainer can’t match, combined with a refreshing playstyle that captivates viewers.
Moreover, a champion pool that can’t be countered by bans.
Kim Dojin looked at Yoon Seohwa and thought how unfair the gods really were.
“Let’s push mid by giving the dragon and summoning the herald.”
“We could team fight, but wouldn’t it be better to take the herald and aim for mid?”
“Due to Oryun’s presence, we’ll let Gwen push and aim for mid while also taking out the opponent’s mid. Anyway, this round won’t reach the fourth dragon.”
Since Ark was in the advantageous position, they didn’t necessarily need to hand over the dragon, but Yoon Seohwa strongly insisted on giving it up.
The team didn’t quite understand the mood but followed her lead.
“This turn, how much did we make?”
“About 3500.”
“This much? We can even take a Baron if necessary?”
BU happily grabbed the dragon but that was it.
With the remaining herald, Ark destroyed the mid turret twice and pushed through to take the remaining top primary turret. The gold difference started to widen significantly.
But as there wasn’t any immediate objective available on a strong timing, Ark started attacking the bottom secondary tower of the opponents.
“If the opponent doesn’t push out from bottom secondary, we dive.”
“Isn’t there a risk that if Sun Nanda explodes, all of us end up being wiped?”
Despite Yoon Seohwa’s somewhat risky command, the team didn’t readily agree this time around.
“I’ll mark with my ultimate. If that doesn’t peel, hit Gwen and push them back.”
“If Taliyah starts building and Renata’s ultimate is down, we could die instantly?”
“Will you just leave them alone after taking out all the enemy spells?”
Her voice, calm just moments ago, now turned sharp, just like the first impression she left.
“If we fail, I’ll take responsibility.”
While no one could grasp what exactly the rookie player, who just started her contract period, meant by “take responsibility,” the team somehow felt reassured by this statement.
“Alright, let’s give it a shot. We’ve done it successfully in scrims, right?”
With the word of team captain Kim Dojin, the team prepared for the dive.
“Checking the movement – they’re not leaving.”
“Focus on getting Jinx first.”
“I’m at half HP with a crescent.”
“I’ll save it for later.”
And so began the assault on the secondary tower.
Though BU thought it was their opportunity to put up maximum resistance…
“Oryun’s ultimate cut!”
“Hey, check that Gwen for Taliyah!”
“Lulu, give me your ultimate!”
“My heal will be ready in 3 seconds.”
Just as Yoon Seohwa said, the growing item gap was becoming painfully clear.
“I’m using my ultimate!”
“…Wow, they took out three people!”
“…Insane.”
“What just happened?”
“Seriously, can you land an ultimate at that angle from there?”
Yoon Seohwa’s super play ended the game with a decisive close.
“…”
After the game ended, the four players of Ark excluding Yoon Seohwa gathered in the team’s third-floor dorm.
Usually, they might discuss the game or celebrate the victory.
But today, a strange heavy silence hung in the air among the players.
“Anyone just say something.”
Finally, the AD carry Jin Yuseong spoke up.
“What’s there to say? It’s just good beyond words.”
“That’s exactly it. It’s her debut, you know.”
“Aren’t we aware? We already knew she was good from scrims.”
“Is scrimming the same as a tournament? In our spring season, we lost all scrim matches and couldn’t even make it to the promotion match.”
The usual banter between the bot duo was interrupted, as usual, by the team captain Kim Dojin.
“Stop arguing and what do you think, senior?”
“…She’s good.”
As always, Park Jinwan, the top laner, gave a concise response.
Hearing that, Kim Dojin scratched his head and addressed the team.
“You all know this mid player is monstrous, right?”
No one refuted that.
“I believe what the coach said, we really have a chance to be promoted.”
All the members of Ark except for Yoon Seohwa were high school students.
Even Park Jinwan, the eldest, was only in his third year of high school.
They had no time to waste in the second league as professional gamers.
“That’s why, don’t hate her too much for special treatment, and let’s play well together.”
Everyone silently agreed with his words.
*
“Back from practice.”
Though she greeted upon arriving home, there was no reply.
Both her parents must have been out late today, she thought.
She tossed her clothes aside and went into the bathroom for a shower, changing into pajamas.
‘This is hard.’
Even though she had been working to improve her stamina, the fatigue from the online game was more than expected.
Thinking about her future training, her phone beside her vibrated.
The caller was the manager.
“Hello?”
“Hi, how was it?”
“Yes, thank you for today.”
“No, that’s my job. By the way, did you hear?”
“What is it about?”
“Your uniform sold out.”
“Really?”
Though she acted surprised, it wasn’t that shocking.
At this point, Ark only ordered about 30 pieces for each player to attach to the uniform as markings.
Even in the second division, selling 10 units per player was already considered good, but since she had a reputation, selling all 30 wasn’t an impossible task.
After adjusting the schedule for the next game pickup and finishing the call, she noticed her uniform hanging on the chair.
On the white uniform with black letters read “para.”
Until now, everything felt surreal, but this was the moment she truly felt that she had really returned to Ark.
