As the first game of the scrimmage began, Kai and Vincent headed to Bot after clearing the Orc and Wolf camps. Their lane opponents were TheLegend and TheMyth, a Pirate and a Lumimancer with matching names.

That bastard said he was playing Carry, right? Kai glared at the Pirate. TheLegend, huh. Yeah, the name checks out. I'll make sure he'll become one hell of a legend by the time I’m done with him. It gonna be a legend about the greatest loser that ever lived.

Just thinking back about their brief exchange was enough to rile her up. Who the hell that scumbag thought he was!? He knew nothing about Kai, yet he disregarded her as trash just for being a girl. Boys like that were the worst kind of filth. SHE'LL MURDER HIS ASS!

"Whoa, Beat," Vincent called out. "Where are you going? That's dangerous."

"Just shut up and support me," Kai advanced toward the frontline instead of clearing the minions. She was going to get an early start on that bastard and reap him apart!

"W-Wait!" Vincent hurried after her. It all happened so suddenly, that he found himself too far away for providing proper support.

Not good. Her Pheromone Buster is acting up! Vincent’s forehead began sweating. Kai’s unstoppable aggression might lead to an early kill, but it’ll more likely lead to her own death instead. I have to do something about it! But, what?

"Heh, the hell?" Bruce sneered. "She's coming at me herself? Is she asking to die or somethin’? Haha."

The next moment, without any warning, something appeared behind him. He couldn't see it, but he knew that metallic sound. It was an Iron Maiden!

"Oh crap!" Bruce rolled aside by instinct. He fought enough Impalers to know what was coming next.

"Shit," Kai cursed as she fired her spear. It was going to whiff, she could already tell. The enemy rolled aside the moment she started the throw animation. Damn it! The only good news was that the Pirate didn’t roll toward Kai. A close-quarters fight against a Pirate would’ve become an issue. Still, this was far from a favorable development.

"Hah! Get cucked!" Bruce grinned as if he just won the lottery. "You saw that shit? Dodging on reaction like a pro!"

"Yeah, sick," Bryan, the Support, gave his approval. "Though, you could've rolled at her and fought at close range. That way, you would’ve ended her whole career."

"Huh, I guess I could do that. But hey, ain’t it amazing I can dodge on reaction like that? Ya gotta be a pro to roll like that!"

"Yeah, of course," Bryan agreed reluctantly. He had to agree, for he knew what'd happen if he didn’t. "So, what we do we do next?"

"Gonna get some revenge, obviously!" Bruce turned his back to the enemy and activated Backfire Cannon. BAM! He closed the distance to the Impaler in an instant!

"Whoa, man!" Bryan exclaimed. "At least gimme a warning or something! Dang it." It gonna be "my fault" if you die, ain't it? Sigh.

Bryan gave chase because he had no choice. He had to do what he could to prevent Bruce from dying. Well, not like there should be anything to worry about. Bruce could definitely hold his own against some chick who pretended to play games.

"Haha, die, bitch!" Bruce drew out his cutlass and slashed at the Impaler from point-blank!

Damn, I can't get away in time...! Kai started backpedaling as soon as she saw the startup for Backfire Cannon, but she wasn't fast enough. At this point, there was no choice but to roll away to create some distance.

"Shit!" Bruce whiffed the attack. "Come here, you pussy!"

The insult must’ve reached the enemy somehow, because she immediately turned around and hurled a spear at him!

"Whoa! Damn!" Bruce jumped. Where did that shit come from!? He was sure the girl will keep running away like the pussy she was. This wasn’t in the plans! Fuuuuu!

The spear impaled his shoulder. Damn, no way. That bitch actually landed the first hit on him! This shit ain't gonna stand!

"You wanna fight, eh? Eh!?" Bruce switched back to his pistol and fired. He gonna teach that bitch what it meant to mess with TheLegend!

Bam! Clean hit! Smacked that bitch right in the chest.

Whish! Another spear came flying at him right then!

"Fu-!" The moment his brain figured he gotta dodge, it was already too late. The spear pierced his left arm.

"Oh, yeah? That’s how it gonna be, eh!?" Bruce's face contorted. "Two can play this game!"

He fired back as soon as he recovered from the animation of the previous shot. Bam! Another hit, square in the stomach!

Whish! Another spear back at him!

Fuck! Take this!

Bam! Whish! Bam! Whish!

They're like mad dogs. Vincent shuddered. It was wild. The two madmen barely moved around. Only their hands were busy, launching one attack after another without rest.

There was no tactic and no elegance in this exchange of blows. They merely unleashed their anger at each other. It was an unsightly, low-level duel.

Is this the level you want to play on? Vincent felt sad. Nevertheless, if things keep going like this, Kai should be able to win.

Impaler’s early-game was strong thanks to its passive, Deep Wounds. It made Impaler’s basic attacks reduce the target’s Physical Defense by a flat amount, allowing the Impaler to deal higher damage over time by stacking these debuffs. So, in an ongoing exchange of blows, Kai should be able to overtake a Pirate at this early stage of the game.

Indeed, you might overtake this foe. But, only thanks to some numbers. Vincent thought. It won't prove anything about your skill as a player. Is that what you want?

This was all the fault of that accursed Pheromone Buster ability that possessed her. It poisoned her mind and made her forget her elegant combat technique, her almighty Rhythm Reader.

Of course, the enemy also deserved some credit here. It was TheLegend’s Fury Inducer ability that wrapped Beat’s mind. Intentionally or not, the guy was a natural at fueling his opponents’ anger. This talent was definitely a double-edged sword, but this time it worked in the enemy's favor.

Beat always had impaired judgment when she entered this moody mode. But, the Fury Inducer pushed her a step further, turning her into nothing more than a beast who only knew how to recklessly attack.

Still, with all said and done, Beat was going to take the fight at this rate. Unfortunately, the situation wasn't so simple. As the two mad dogs clashed, they drew the interest of nearby minions. The little soldiers won't let this stand. Each side sought revenge for their captain.

If the minions join the fray, this fight will most certainly end in a double KO. The power advantage Kai had will be overwritten by the extra damage from minions. That’s how scary the soldiers were during the early game.

And, as it happens, my clearing speed is too slow to do anything about this. Vincent advanced to the front and unleashed Icicle Rain on the enemy minions, but that barely bothered them. The enemy army had every intention to keep hunting Kai down.

If I at least had Cryo-Freeze... Alas, the game has just started. Vincent was only Lv.2, so there was no hope of using his ult. The only other spell he had was Ice Wall, but it won't stall the enemy enough.

So, what do I do? A shiver ran across his skin.

This was this team's first competitive match, the first time they set foot upon a grand stage like this. They had to prove their worth, here and now. It was imperative for them to start this on the right foot. If they mess up so early, they might lose morale for the rest of the day! It'll be doomsday! The Armageddon! The SUPER DUPER BIG FAIL apocalypse!

So, what do I do!? I have to keep her alive somehow! If only he knew ahead of time that Kai will aggress like this, then he would have leveled his Ice Coffin instead of Ice Wall. Normally, it was less useful at the very start of the game, so he left it for Lv.3. But, for this heated early battle, Ice Coffin would have been a game-changer.

Alas, as always, the solo conductor told Vincent nothing about her plans. The team helped her calm down before the game and that therapy should’ve worked. But, as soon as the game started, this situation happened. Blast it all!

Yo, these minions are bad news. Bryan calmly analyzed the situation. While Bruce was locked in a hectic fight with that Impaler chick, the minions were making their way into the fray. At this rate, the two aggressive dumbasses gonna get their asses whooped by the minions, haha!

Jokes aside, this was bad. Bruce was playing dumb right now, but he gonna blame Bryan if something happens. That's how shit always went. The Carry always blamed the Support for stuff.

Seriously, this role was the worst. Bryan only played this shit because it was the only spot left on the team. Nobody wanted to touch this garbage, so Bryan volunteered. Or, rather, was pretty much forced to volunteer for it, since that’s what Bruce always made him play anyway.

Is it too late to change roles? Bryan smiled wryly. Welp, what's done was done. He just had to keep doing what he always did. Meaning, keeping Bruce happy. Or, else...

I'd clear these minions if I had the attack power for it. Bryan sighed. This damn role, I’m tellin’ ya. It’s always so weak and crap. How do people main Support? They gotta be legit insane.

Still, a man gotta do what a man gotta do. Bryan signed up for this shit, so he gotta see it through.

The top priority was to keep Bruce alive. More than anything, Bruce hated dying, that’s something Bryan learned after years of experience. So, no matter what had to be done, even if Bryan had to put his own neck on the line, he had to make sure Bruce walks outta this alive.

Guess I gotta do one of ‘em suicide moves, heh. Bryan smiled wryly. Seriously, sometimes this role was the worst. But, he has been telling that himself for over two years now, so it became the norm. Sigh. Here goes nothing!

Bryan activated Flash and blinked forward, right into enemy territory.

“Wha-!?” Vincent couldn’t process the information in front of him. The Lumimancer? What was he doing all the way over here!? What was the plan? How should Vincent respond?

“What’s up, fam?” Bryan fired a ball of light at the Cryomancer, then rolled the heck outta there.

“Wha...?” Vincent blinked. The Lumimancer left as abruptly as he arrived. What was the big idea here? Did he come here just to shoot one basic attack at Vincent?

Oh, he came to aggro the minions! It finally hit him when all allied minions started focusing their fire on the Lumimancer. That Lumimancer blinked in just to get a hit on Vincent and grab the minions’ attention! The minions prioritized nearby offenders first, so they forgot all about the Pirate and focused on the Lumimancer first.

What a bizarre play! He must have practiced this art for years to master it!

Now, just to pray I don’t die from this shit. Bryan chuckled nervously. One time out of five, this sort of self-sacrificial play would lead to his doom. It better not be one of those...

All enemy minions focused their fire on Bryan because he was the closest offender. They forgot all about Bruce and chased Bryan instead. In that sense, the play was a success. It increased Bruce’s chances of winning the duel, without Bryan having to directly butt into it. Most importantly, it boosted Bruce’s chances of survival. Compared to that, Bryan’s survival could be damned.

This is a disaster...! Vincent sweated bullets. With the Lumiancer distracting all allied minions, only the enemy minions were free to assault the duelists. In other words, Kai was in a pinch! At this rate, her demise was inevitable!

Wait, perhaps I could try this aggro trick too. I only need to intercept the minions and hit one of our foes. Vincent looked around. Not good. I won't make it in time. They're all too far away! An entire eternity stands between us!

It was hopeless! A disaster! The end of the world! There was no escaping from this Ragnarok!

But, I can't Kai die here! What do I do!? Vincent's heart pounded. With each beat, the little villains took one step close toward Kai. They were almost there...!

Vincent's eye naturally laid on his kit. Oh, right! The Ice Wall! He still hasn't used it. That was the solution!

I just need to build a wall! Vincent carefully aimed at the Ice Wall. His hand was shaking. He felt drops of sweat dripping down his forehead. It was like Mission Improbable. He was the only one who could salvage the situation. Failure to do so meant Game Over.

T-There! Vincent placed the wall. Alas, it appeared far from where he intended to place it. B-Blasphemy! The devil must have struck my hand right before I clicked!

Instead of creating a divider between Kai and her foes, the clumsily-placed Ice Wall only stood between Kai and TheLegend. It didn’t stop, let alone slow, the incoming minions. The army was still marching!

"Wha-!?" Kai jumped when her spear crashed into an ice wall and fell on the ground. "Hey! What's that for!?"

"Ah, err, yeah, about that..." Words refused to roll on Vincent’s tongue for some reason. Whoopsie-daisy. He messed up big time.

Nay! This was no time to cry over spilled milk. He had to warn Kai before it was too late!

"The minions! They're coming!"

"Huh? So what? Our minions are coming too... oh." Kai realized that something was off. For some reason, instead of targeting the Pirate, her minions were heading in the opposite direction. They won't be providing her with backup any time soon.

"Got it," Kai turned around and dashed from the area.

"Bitch, you running away?" Bruce sneered. "Yeah, run back to mama, girl." He circled around the ice wall and gave chase, but soon gave up. That scaredy-cat was already at her Turret. Lame shit.

"Hey B," Bruce called out. "Whatcha doing over there? You should've landed me a hand to finish off that bitch. And, when the hell did you lose so much HP? C'mon, man. Focus."

"I was luring the minions away from you," Bryan made a face.

"Oh, that's cool. Thanks, champ."

"You're welcome."

"But damn, I lost tons of HP," Bruce realized that obvious fact just now. "Let's scram."

"Already on it."

The two retreated from the area.

"Heh, this whole thing turned out kinda lame, but we got this shit," Bruce reassured. "That chick ain't nothin'. I can mop the floor with her with my eyes closed."

"Yeah, you gonna kick that ass next time," Bryan nodded. "She seems basic as fuck. We just gotta be ready for the next time she charges in like a Bronze player. Then, we gonna whoop her ez."

"Yeah, exactly. You know it."

The first clash in Bot concluded on this note. Even though both sides lost a lot of HP, Bruce and Bryan were confident that, next time, they'll win no problem. That Impaler just caught them a little off guard this time, that’s all. They’ll be ready for her Bronze-ass plays next time. That chick was dead meat!