[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return – Chapter 283

Time flew by in a frenzy.

Before we knew it, the finals of the Legends of League Champions Korea Summer Season were just around the corner.

“Is today the day?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The finals.”

“Oh, right.”

We spent our time practicing, practicing, and yet more practicing.

As expected, in the Challengers Korea Post-Season, BLH emerged victorious in the second round and advanced to the promotion matches.

From now on, BLH had officially become our competitor.

The finals were set for September 8. The first day of the promotion matches was on September 12.

With only four days left, we couldn’t afford to watch other teams’ matches, but the important part was that this was no ordinary match; it was the showdown of the two strongest teams in the country.

The patch version for the LCKR finals and the one for our promotion matches were the same.

In any case, it was a good match to keep an eye on.

At that moment, Seo Yeon-woo said,

“Sis, let me know when the match starts.”

“Do you want to watch it too?”

“You said it would be good for me to watch.”

“I guess that’s true.”

The team members all seemed to agree with my suggestion.

No matter how reckless someone usually was, watching the LCKR finals before the promotion matches was certainly a meaningful undertaking.

“What about Ji-hoon?”

“He went out to exercise.”

“I figured as much.”

We purposely didn’t schedule any scrims for today.

Well, to be honest, we tried, but it was tough to get one booked.

It seemed like other teams also cleared their schedules just to watch this final.

“Of course, how could it not be a focal point?”

Even though SCV lost to GRS in the recent MSL, lowering the standing of the international competition a bit, LCKR’s international status should still be considered top-notch.

In that context, the Summer Season finals could also be seen as a sneak peek into the Red Cup, so it was bizarre not to be interested.

“Especially for the teams participating in the selection matches, they have to keep an eye on who shows up.”

Additionally, since this was the finals, SY and MAX would have to reveal their hidden picks.

For teams participating in the selection matches, watching this finals was a smart move from every angle.

“Is it almost time to start?”

The final match started at 5 PM.

However, there were usually a lot of interviews and analyses before the match itself, so the broadcast typically started around an hour earlier.

“I don’t really need to watch all that.”

Of course, I wasn’t completely disinterested in the teams’ stories or analyses.

After all, those were part of the fun points of the finals.

But given my current situation and that of our team, I thought it would be more efficient to play a solo rank match instead.

+

[Game Found!]

[Accept / Decline]

+

The queue was filled.

I’m not sure if many others were thinking like me or if they just weren’t interested in the finals, but I saw a few familiar IDs.

The game started.

My pick was Lee Sin.

The opponent picked Rek’Sai.

Currently, Rek’Sai was treated quite differently in solo queue compared to tournaments.

In solo queue, she counters Lee Sin with a reasonably decent win rate and performs well as a top-tier pick, but she rarely makes an appearance in tournaments, even if Lee Sin is picked first.

“The champion itself has its limitations.”

So, it wasn’t really one of those picks we could expect to see in the finals.

If she did come out, it would only be under very specific conditions where the team compositions were right.

The result of the solo queue was my victory.

Even though Rek’Sai is a counter pick to Lee Sin, her inherent weaknesses showed through eventually, and I used that to win.

“Done?”

“Yeah.”

“Then we can just tune in.”

Before we knew it, the team members had gathered in the practice room.

It had been quite a while since we all came together like this outside of practice…

“Well, considering we spend most of our time practicing, was that really necessary to mention?”

Lost in unnecessary thoughts, I switched on the broadcast.

“I wonder if it’s better to keep the stream on?”

Under normal circumstances, that would be the right call, but something told me it might be best not to today.

Given that while watching, various discussions would pop up among the team members, there was a chance some strategies might leak.

“That Jaem-min kid might blurt something foolish.”

Because of that, I decided to watch the finals without the stream on.

『“Finally, that day has come. How many of you have been eagerly waiting for this day?”』

『“That’s right. SY versus MAX, and MAX versus SY. Both are traditional powerhouses of LCKR, and especially for SY, as last year’s World Champion, the question is whether they can maintain their throne. The spotlight from League of Legends fans worldwide is on them!”』

『“Indeed! Although SY has already secured their spot in the Red Cup, it’s better to go in as the 1 seed than the 2 seed!”』

『“Yes! One seed, two seed, you might think it doesn’t matter, but there’s always symbolic meaning behind it!”』

The weight of the Legends of League Champions Korea Summer Season finals is much heavier compared to the Spring Season.

The reason is simple.

The Legends of League World Championship.

It’s a match for a direct seed into the so-called Red Cup.

Especially for MAX, if they lose in this finals, they’ll be pushed into the selection matches by SCV, the Spring Season champions, due to circuit points, making this finals all the more critical.

In the worst-case scenario, a team making it to the Summer Season finals could end up missing out on the Red Cup entirely.

“Oh, looks like the ban/pick is about to start.”

As Kim Jae-min said, I must’ve timed the stream perfectly, as both teams’ players were seated in their booths, ready to go.

『“Alright, then… let’s start the ban/pick!”』

SY was on the blue side.

MAX was on the red side.

[Aphelios]

SY’s first ban was Aphelios.

『“They’re cutting out Aphelios right from the start!”』

『“Indeed, there have been many comments about how King God Emperor’s performance has been phenomenal lately. Some are even saying he’s the top-tier player!”』

『“Yes, this match will be a great opportunity for King God Emperor to prove that!”』

『“Absolutely.”』

As the commentators mentioned, it seemed like MAX’s strongest carry line was in the bot lane, especially the ADC, which explained their chosen ban.

Soon, it was MAX’s turn to ban.

[Twisted Fate]

『“Twisted Fate ban. This can definitely be considered a standard flow.”』

『“Clearly, champions like Twisted Fate and Renekton with confirmed CC are valued very highly these days, right?”』

『“Exactly. It’s rare to find champions that can guarantee CC through targeting…”』

『“That’s right. In the past, there were a lot more of these types of skills, but I think the patch has shifted its focus to emphasizing ‘counterplay possibilities’ for those on the receiving end.”』

『“So, now for SY’s choice…?”』

[Caitlyn]

Caitlyn banned.

Baek Seong-an remarked.

“Hmm, looks like they really want to shut down the ADC role completely.”

“Yeah, it seems so.”

“It’s evident that King God Emperor has been playing well lately. When we faced them, our bot couldn’t even breathe.”

“That’s because I wasn’t the ADC. If it had been me, it would have been different. Right, Linjeong?”

Kim Jae-min said, but everyone just casually ignored him.

Confidence is good, but arrogance is a whole different story.

『“Already, two ADC bans have come out. No matter how good Aphelios and Caitlyn are currently in the bot lane, this opens up for some unexpected picks, doesn’t it?”』

[Kuroki]

『“Ah, they’re mainly cutting out picks in the mid lane.”』

『“Don’t give Rainbow any carry picks; they’ve shown that they can shine during the regular season!”』

『“Yes. But how many carry picks are there, and can they all be banned? MAX also needs to focus strong here.”』

Finally, it was SY’s turn for their third ban.

[Jinx]

A clear statement.

Don’t let your ADC carry.

MAX responded with a counter-ban as well.

[Akali]

『“If this happens, Renekton will survive… will SY take him? Since the current situation allows for a lane swap, there’s really no reason not to seize him.”』

That was a reasonable statement.

And just as that suggested, SY swiftly picked up Renekton.

[Renekton]

Now it was MAX’s turn to pick.

“What do you think they will go for?”

“Not sure? Since Karuma is still available, I guess finishing the bot lane wouldn’t be a bad choice.”

“Sounds about right.”

Karuma was currently one of the top-tier picks among supports.

Of course, Yuumi was still up, but given MAX’s tendency to play aggressively in the bot lane, it seemed they were more likely to secure Karuma.

[Karuma]

So far, everything was going as everyone expected.

But among the remaining ADC champions, was there a pick that MAX would go for…?

『“Is there any chance they’ll pull out something like Draven?”』

『“All of a sudden?”』

『“Well, it doesn’t seem likely based on data, but King God Emperor has been known to occasionally pull that out at times like this.”』

Of course, that thought was misguided.

[Ezreal]

Although Jhin was still on the board, MAX relied on their ADC to carry, so they took Ezreal instead.

“I guess SY will just pick Jhin and Yuumi for the bot lane now?”

“Sounds like it.”

Since it was the first game, the ban/pick phase seemed to be going smoothly.