[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return – Chapter 384

[Two Hearts, One Mind Mode Match]

As the name suggests, it’s a mode where two players control a single champion; in simple terms, one has the keyboard, and the other has the mouse, both working together to control one champion.

Naturally, having two players handling one champion leads to awkwardness and unease, and watching the various antics that arise from it becomes the fun of the event match.

The stage for the two hearts, one mind mode match is Summoner’s Rift.

Thus, it turned into an immensely chaotic game with a total of 20 players participating at once.

‘That’s exactly why it’s more fun.’

Before we take part in the two hearts, one mind match, there’s something we need to do.

We need to decide on a team name.

“What shall we go with?”

“You can choose whatever you want, Outlaw.”

“I don’t have anything in mind…”

Of course, neither Rainbow nor I had a leadership tendency when it came to these things, so deciding on a team name was bound to be a struggle.

“I noticed other teams just mix up their nicknames; should we do that too?”

“Sounds good.”

And so, our team name was decided as OutBow.

It wasn’t the most interesting team name out there, but given that both Rainbow and I were pretty dull, it couldn’t be helped.

“Let’s go then.”

Having settled on a team name, we headed towards the arena.

As soon as Rainbow and I entered the venue, we were met with applause, and I spotted over ten familiar and unfamiliar faces of fellow competitors.

It was quite the event match, bringing together so many players.

‘Hmm.’

In keeping with the event’s spirit, the two hearts, one mind mode had players from various countries mixed properly on each team.

BlackDog and GuineaPig, both from the same All-Star team, waved to us from across the booth.

Superstar players from China like Nightmare and MobyDick were also on the opposing side.

“Let’s win this!”

Rainbow, who had been responding only in single words until now, spoke up first.

Naturally, I thought the same.

“Absolutely.”

At that moment, the other players we’d be playing with greeted us.

“Outlaw, Rainbow! It’s so great to meet you like this. Nice to meet you.”

“You truly are the best jungler. I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from your play.”

“Uh, um… Yeah. Thanks. Nice to meet you too. Ahahaha…”

I still had no clue what the player was saying, but at least it didn’t sound like insults.

It seemed Rainbow somewhat understood, as he whispered to me.

“They said you’re the best jungler and they learn a lot from watching you.”

“Ah… thank you, thank you!”

I really wanted to say more, but with my pathetic vocabulary, this was as far as I could manage.

Sorry!

But the sentiment got across!

“Good game.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the other players, we took our seats.

Once I was in front of the keyboard, mouse, and monitor, a sense of calm washed over me, proving once again I’m incorrigibly addicted to this.

‘Alright then…’

It was time to discuss the game with Rainbow.

“What do you want to pick?”

As with any game, the pick phase is crucial for the two hearts, one mind mode.

Especially since the keyboard and mouse are shared, champions requiring precise skill shots or intricate controls might be nearly impossible.

[“Initially, a basic auto-attack champion would seem advantageous.”]

“That makes sense.”

It was true.

Thanks to the nature of the two hearts, one mind mode, champions that rely on basic attacks, with longer cooldowns and fewer skill uses, are favorable over those needing quick and precise skill combos.

An example of the former could be a champion like LeBlanc, while a champion like Caitlyn would fit the latter category.

Caitlyn, in particular, can perform fairly well even if the mouse user doesn’t utilize her skills too much.

Her core skill can be used primarily while aiming forward, thus serving both offense and survival, making her an exceptional choice for the two hearts mode.

‘But…’

Is that really enough?

Everyone knows that picking champions like Caitlyn is advantageous in this mode.

If winning was the only goal here, I wouldn’t have hesitated to pick a champion like Caitlyn.

However, since the two hearts, one mind mode is an event match where winning and losing aren’t all that significant, I thought it would be best to show something special to the fans.

“Rainbow.”

[“Yes, what is it?”]

A champion optimized for showcasing.

There are several champions to choose from, but if we’re talking about the one that symbolizes Rainbow, there was only one.

“Let’s go with LeBlanc.”

[“…Huh? LeBlanc?”]

“Yeah, you play LeBlanc really well, Rainbow.”

[“Even so, that’s…”]

It was understandable for Rainbow to react this way.

As mentioned before, champions like Caitlyn can be managed with just the mouse; whereas with LeBlanc, precise skill combos are essential.

“It’s okay. You can do it.”

Was it my confidence showing through, or the fact that winning didn’t matter that much in this match?

[“Alright then. Let’s do it.”]

Rainbow soon accepted my suggestion.

“Good thinking.”

As soon as my conversation with Rainbow concluded, the game began, and the ban/pick phase started.

It’s true that it’s called a ban/pick phase, but since the picks happen as a blind pick, we just need to execute the choice we had decided on earlier.

[LeBlanc]

Was it just me, or did cheers erupt from the audience the moment I picked LeBlanc?

Since it was a blind pick, the ban/pick phase wrapped up in no time.

[Allies / Enemies]


Top: Malphite / Sett

Jungle: Lee Sin / Graves

Mid: LeBlanc / Tristana

ADC: Miss Fortune / Ezreal

Support: Blitzcrank / Jerastu

The composition of both teams seemed reasonable, and in a way, it felt like both sides had chosen champions suited for the two hearts, one mind mode.

Notably, the enemy team had three champions similar to an ADC, showcasing the status of ADC champions in the two hearts, one mind mode.

That said, Ezreal faced a bit of a challenge with his demanding skill shots.

-Welcome to Summoner’s Rift!

The game officially began.

Is it because it’s an event match?

From the get-go, a strong ping lit up in mid, followed by a fierce 5v5 confrontation instead of a jungle invasion.

『♛』


『ᵔᴥᵔ』

Players from both teams exchanged friendly emotes while holding the standoff.

Of course, in a simple standoff, the opposing team had the upper hand due to their longer range.

But I wasn’t about to let a visible weakness slip by.

“Rainbow, Jerastu is positioned ahead; let’s catch him. I’ll chain him.”

[“Yeah, so how…?”]

“I’ll flash in with the chain.”

That simple phrase seemed to convey enough for Rainbow, who moved the mouse cursor toward Jerastu.

At that split second.

As I flashed in and chained Jerastu, the flustered Jerastu ended up using his flash towards the opposing side, sucked into the midst of his team.

This catastrophic blunder caused by the two hearts mode elicited laughter from the other players beside us.

-Hahaha!


-Wow!


-That’s so funny!

Immediately, Blitzcrank’s grab followed up on Jerastu like a death sentence, sealing Jerastu’s fate.

-First Blood!

While it was a pity that Blitzcrank got the kill, it wasn’t a massive loss.

He definitely looked like he was going for damage items.

There’s a little-known fact; due to accumulated buffs, Blitzcrank’s damage item efficiency is quite strong right now.

-30 seconds until minions spawn!

After the initial confrontation ended, the champions scattered to their respective lanes.

We headed to the mid.

Our opponent was the auto-attack focused champion, Tristana.

However, our allied Lee Sin’s movements after getting his first buff were unusual.

[⨷]

A ping lit up on mid.

It indicated he would be going for a level 2 gank.

[“I think he’s signaling for a level 2 gank?”]

Lee Sin’s reasoning was straightforward.

In solo lanes like top and mid, the timing for hitting level 2 is typically after the first wave and when the second wave’s melee minion dies.

However, that’s just the general case.

If variables like first blood and ward experience come into play, even professional gamers can sometimes overlook these factors.

Just like now.

[LeBlanc – Level 2]