[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return – Chapter 225

Why did we lose?

Because our skills weren’t up to par.

How did we lose?

We couldn’t stop the opponent’s snowballing, which started rolling around mid.

So, what should we do now?

Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer to that yet.

Sadly, there isn’t much data on what to do in this situation for our team.

“……”

This isn’t the first time we’ve lost.


It’s not unfamiliar to our team; losing has become something we know well.

But that’s just a set loss, not a match loss.

3:0.


2:0.


3:0.


3:1.


.


.


.


2:1.


3:1.


3:2.

Up until now, no matter who we played against, we always found a way to pull through and win.

Even against SCV, the reigning king of spring, we managed to snag a close victory of 3:2 after a bloody battle.

Yet today, we lost.

Still, since we won the first game, it’s not completely a loss.


The game itself had a lot of potential, aside from one glaring flaw.

Yet, we still lost.

“……I’m sorry.”

Baek Seong-an, who can be said to have played a significant role in today’s defeat, couldn’t lift his head.

“It’s okay. We were just a bit unlucky.”

Unlucky.


It wasn’t an incorrect statement. Our scrim against SY today was a last-minute addition, which prevented Baek Seong-an from properly adjusting his condition.

Though, even still, there were a few questions.


If Baek Seong-an had been in top condition, would things have turned out differently?

‘It would probably be better than today, but…’

Could just that slight improvement really flip a loss into a win?

Could it really?

If you asked where the most crucial line is in Legends of League, the first answer would always be mid.


While other lanes have sometimes closely matched mid’s influence depending on the meta, they’ve rarely surpassed it.

In other words, the impact mid has on the game is always vast.

Just as we were brutally punished by Rainbow a moment ago, mid laners holding lane dominance can do nearly anything they please.

“Hyung, don’t be like that. I didn’t do well either. Man, Longbow GuineaPig was insane.”

Kim Jae-min, who sat next to me, tried to cheer us up with a brave voice.


Considering Kim Jae-min’s usual personality, I thought he’d be oblivious to the atmosphere and shout about the mid gap… but I must’ve been mistaken.

‘Then again, we did get pushed in bot during the second and third games.’

Maybe because he carried the first game, a hyped-up Kim Jae-min went too far and ended up losing lane control in bot.


With different opponents, it might have been overlooked, but against SY’s bot lane, such reckless behavior wouldn’t lead to a victory.

‘Or maybe he did it intentionally to make up for the gap in mid.’

The fact that Kim Ji-hoon, known for his cautious play, went along with Kim Jae-min’s antics without hesitation was the biggest indirect evidence.


Kim Ji-hoon must have thought the game shouldn’t flow this way.

Whatever it was, it was true that we were being overwhelmed in nearly every lane.

“I didn’t do well either. I managed to take a solo kill in the last match…”

For the top, who can argue that they delivered in all today’s matches, Seo Yeon-woo nodded as if to say she felt wronged.


Because her claims weren’t wrong; she indeed got a solo kill in the last game after overextending.

“…No, I seriously apologize today. I didn’t expect this to happen… ha.”

Baek Seong-an sighed deeply.


Sadly, I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes at the smell of alcohol wafting from that sigh.

“Forget it; anyway, we don’t have a schedule today, so let’s just go over today’s game feedback.”

A scrim is just a scrim.


Rather, overcoming today’s loss is what will help us improve further.

“…Yeah.”

Baek Seong-an managed a bitter smile.

The real feedback session began.

“I feel like Rainbow definitely did something weird here, didn’t you notice anything like that in games 2 and 3?”

“Yeah. They just seemed to be trying to stomp us.”

“Hmm. But we definitely need to strategize better when facing a strong mid team.”

“I think so too.”

The picks we prepared were characters like Majah and Baegah, but they had already been indirectly exposed by SCV, so it got shut down immediately.

“Damn them.”

When we meet them in the tournament later, I plan to give them a proper beating without holding back.

“Couldn’t the mid have engaged there? We could see the enemy jungler’s position.”

“I was under too much pressure… felt like if I poked my head out, I’d die.”

“Still, you should have come.”

“Sorry. I definitely feel like I messed up… I’ll try switching things up next time.”

“Bro, there was a mid call mistake. I thought you were coming down, so I played passively and ended up suffering too much.”

“I’m sorry too. I misread their movements.”

Somehow, it seemed like Baek Seong-an was taking more heat than usual, but isn’t this all constructive feedback that helps us grow?

After the feedback session ended…

“Great job today, everyone. Since there’s no dinner schedule, just do your own thing. Feel free to rest.”

Given how passionate the feedback session was, when team members began to stand up one by one with tired faces, Kim Ji-hoon, who was usually quiet, spoke up.

“Seong-an hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s go work out. You’ve been skipping out lately.”

“No, I’m just not feeling great today…”

“Cardio is the best cure for hangovers.”

And so, Baek Seong-an was forcibly led to the gym by Kim Ji-hoon.

“I seriously feel like I’m going to die…”

“That’s because you haven’t been exercising.”

Baek Seong-an struggled, but it was impossible to stand against the human tank, who could easily bench 650 by now.

It seems our team really knows how to feed us well.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait a sec!”

Baek Seong-an was helplessly dragged along.


Walking over to the gym seemed like an impossible task.

*

SY Dormitory.

“Great job today, everyone. Since there’s no afternoon schedule, just practice on your own.”

“Sure.”


“Yeah.”


“Yoon-ki, what about you?”


“I’ll be around for a bit.”


“Alright, great job today.”

YunGi, the starting jungler for SY and a Red Cup-winning jungler, Park Yoon-ki, remained on the couch, deep in thought, even after the feedback had ended.

It was all because of today’s scrim against OLZ.


I already knew that Outlaw was a skilled player.


But experiencing it in a team game was beyond what I expected.

‘…….’

The jungler is an organic position.


Is there any other position that is so influenced by the team and can influence the team back?

However, Park Yoon-ki experienced something strange today.


Even though the team was winning, he had a peculiar experience of being utterly dominated in the jungle.


Especially when mid, the lane closest to the jungle, was overwhelming the opponent, how could the jungle lose? That’s unheard of.

‘…Why?’

Yet, strangely enough, that bizarre feeling was becoming familiar, as if he had experienced it before.


He knew of a jungler who could give him this feeling.

‘Prisoner.’

Why that name popped back into his mind now, he didn’t know, but today Park Yoon-ki felt like he was going against Prisoner.

‘…Could it be that the rumor is true?’

There’s a saying among League of Legends circles that 90% of the rumors are true.


The rumor Park Yoon-ki had in mind was none other than the identity of Prisoner being Outlaw.

Naturally, most people dismissed the idea of Prisoner = Outlaw as nonsense, but having gone up against Outlaw today, Park Yoon-ki couldn’t help but lend credence to that theory.

After all, the way they both played was strikingly similar.


To be precise, the overwhelming power Prisoner exhibited felt oddly similar when he faced Outlaw.

‘No… That can’t be right.’

Park Yoon-ki shook his head.


No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

‘If Prisoner really is Outlaw, then why go through all the trouble of cleaning up his account?’

In the current Legends of League scene, Prisoner is renowned not only as the first 2000-point jungler but also as a classic player.


Why would he throw that name away for a fresh start?


There’s no reason for it.

‘Most importantly…’

Prisoner is male.


A man suffering from a rare illness.


With looks that could make any man’s heart flutter and a demeanor that seems otherworldly, it’s only natural that he wouldn’t match with Outlaw at all.

“What’s with you?”

“Oh.”

Ryu Jin-hyuk had approached Park Yoon-ki before he realized it, placing a hand on his shoulder.


Park Yoon-ki involuntarily flinched, but upon seeing Ryu Jin-hyuk’s face, a question crossed his mind.


He felt like Ryu Jin-hyuk might know something.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh, never mind.”

“What? Just say it.”

Should I say it or not?


Park Yoon-ki’s contemplation was brief.

“……Is Outlaw Prisoner?”