[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return – Chapter 287

The third set has begun, and the ping from both teams is ringing loudly.

SY and MAX.

As each team’s champions quickly moved to gather for an invade.

SY’s champions positioned in the bottom bush.

MAX’s champions were on the red side.

While both teams’ invade routes were misaligned, the commentators spoke.

“Well, the long-awaited third set has just started. Will this be the final set, or will it be the dawn of SY’s counterattack…?”

“Who would have guessed that someone would push SY this hard? MAX, you’re just one step away. One more step and the dream of victory will be yours!”

“Not to mention, if MAX loses in the finals, they have to go through the qualifiers! They’re fighting for that red cup seed as well, so they need to finish strong!”

“Exactly!”

Due to the misalignment in invade routes, MAX gained vision over SY’s top blue jungle, while SY secured vision in the bottom bush.

“This makes the bottom lane matchup crucial.”

“True.”

“Ji-hoon, how’s Tahm Kench doing these days?”

In response to Baek Seong-an’s question, Kim Ji-hoon, who had been silently observing until now, finally spoke.

“He’s decent.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Although his Eat ability has turned into an ultimate, he’s still quite strong in lane with his strengths intact.”

Soon after, the commentators continued.

“Recently…well, to say recently is a bit off, but anyway, after a patch that rewrote Tahm Kench, which was symbolized by his Eat ability being turned into an ultimate, it became a patch that diminished the champion’s advantages. So for a while, he was primarily played in the top lane instead of support. However, after several patches, he has returned to the support role.”

“Right. It feels like they eventually had no choice but to patch him due to his insane save ability, despite enduring numerous nerfs?”

“Exactly. To elaborate on how the formerly absent support Tahm Kench has come back, there was a patch that reduced the efficiency of his E skill when there are fewer than two enemies nearby. So, he became harder to use in lane.”

“Yes. On the flip side, one could say it has opened the opportunity to play him as support again, right? That could be a key point regarding why we’re seeing Tahm Kench now, right?”

“Yes. Especially since many supports were taken out and the opponents picked champions like Caitlyn and Lux, it seems they judged that Tahm Kench would fit well since MAX has relatively many immobile champions.”

The commentators poured out their thoughts on Tahm Kench as time slipped by unnoticed.

-Minions have spawned!

The moment when the laning phase officially begins. Jarvan III headed towards red, while Orianna went to the mid lane, yet Gragas remained hiding in the bottom bush with Caitlyn and Lux.

“But, is Gragas not going home?”

“Is he actually planning to do something here?!”

“It seems like that’s the case!!!”

Unaware of the situation, Tahm Kench and Jhin innocently approached the lane.

“This is it; I’m dead.”

Gragas’s Body Slam erupted. However, Tahm Kench was positioned to block, but TheOne’s Gragas seemed unconcerned and blinked in for the combo.

Flash!

Gragas’s Body Slam flash, followed by Lux’s Q and Caitlyn’s W combo executed perfectly as a wombo combo.

-First Blood!

-Enemy Eliminated!

“AAAAAA!!!”

“No, no…!!!”

“Ah! Now level 1 Tahm Kench has no Eat! There’s naturally no saving here!!”

“If Gragas hadn’t flashed, he would’ve been blocked by Tahm Kench’s position, but TheOne’s Gragas slipped right through!”

“Even though Gragas’s flash and teleport are gone, Caitlyn got the first blood!”

“Oh… this means MAX is starting off in a tight spot?!”

An unexpected early ambush from Gragas, and on top of that, Jhin’s death. MAX found themselves in a troublesome situation.

“Then we need to step up in top.”

“Yeon-woo, how’s the Gragas vs. Renekton matchup in top?”

“Renekton has the edge. Gragas has decent lane sustain, but Renekton is a no-cost champion.”

“Oh really? That makes Renekton crucial.”

Due to the incident in the bottom lane, Renekton’s burden grew heavier. Similarly, Diana, who took the jungle buff route, had no choice but to head to top now.

“Now MAX is getting too predictable.”

“True.”

The game continued.

“This… the bottom situation is completely wrecked.”

As the commentators pointed out, the previously crucial bottom lane matchup crumbled due to Gragas’s early set-up, resulting in Jhin’s death.

This was the worst-case scenario for MAX.

But that wasn’t the only bad news.

“Look at Jarvan’s position.”

Yoon-ki’s Jarvan III, after taking red, rushed mid at level 2. Normally, Hwarang’s Raze would have been cautious, but he was acting unusually unguarded at this moment.

A finals match.

A favorable score of 2:0.

Yoon-ki’s play, usually so smooth, was quite clumsy today.

The bottom lane having been set up early, added up and they pushed Hwarang to take a risky step forward.

Finally, Yoon-ki, now showing his usual aggression, rushed into mid.

“Jarvan! You really need to look at Jarvan now!”

Jarvan’s spear caught Raze from behind. The moment Raze, with no choice, used his flash, Jarvan seemed to anticipate it and matched his flash perfectly to achieve an airborne effect.

What a brilliant predictive play.

“Oh.”

“That was cool.”

“WAHAAAA! Yoon-kiii!”

“Hang on, Raze is…!”

There were shouts mixed with screams from the commentators.

-Enemy Eliminated!

Raze died. The moment he was airborne, his fate was all but sealed.

Less than three minutes into the game, there were already two kills. All in favor of SY.

“This is different. It definitely is! SY has come prepared with their knives drawn!”

“Did LCKR think winning would be so easy?! SY seems to be roaring loudly!”

“Exactly!”

The early setup from TheOne’s Gragas broke the bloodline open for SY, and victory bells for SY kept ringing.

In the mid-lane lineup, both the core dealer and the ADC had already secured a death each right from the start.

For MAX, it was a level of emergency like no other.

“This means Renekton’s burden has grown incredibly heavy! No matter how good Woo-chan’s form is today, can he really handle it?!”

The commentator expressed concern, and this quickly translated into reality.

Renekton tried his best to pressure Gragas, but Gragas’s lane sustain was exceptional, so he simply couldn’t do it alone.

So Diana came in for a gank, but TheOne’s Gragas decided to take the hit and just went home.

His intuition was on point.

“Ah! Now Diana has lost her turn, and Jarvan is heading to mid again?!”

And once again, a kill happened in mid.

-Enemy Eliminated!

Mid lane completely fell apart.

From there, the flow of the game was a done deal.

There was nothing left for SY to face, strengthening their grip not just in the bottom lane but even in mid.

MAX’s first and only chance came with the first Rift Herald.

They were quicker to join the Herald than the opposing bottom lane but encountered the worst situation when the bottom turret fell.

That wasn’t all.

-Blue team stole the Rift Herald!

Rift Herald steal.

Although they couldn’t eat the eye, Jarvan’s successful steal ensured his revival.

MAX, who had put all their focus and investment into the Herald, reaped the worst possible outcome.

“Ah! MAX has been ruined. Completely destroyed!”

Having lost the Herald and suffered a heavy defeat in the first dragon fight, MAX was fated to only one outcome.

“This third set will wrap up with SY’s victory!”

“GG!”

In a moment of crisis, SY’s gameplay surged back to life.

*

The fourth set began. Much like the third set, the fourth set unfolded in a similar flow. It was as if SY had regained the lost memories as they aggressively pushed MAX from the start to secure an easy victory.

“GG!”

With a tie at 2:2, MAX found themselves standing right at the edge of the cliff.

Given this situation, everyone watching the finals couldn’t help but think of that phrase.

Loss-Loss-Win-Win-Win.

Perhaps, today could be the day they confront that very myth.