A new minion wave arrived.

Like always, Jin approached the enemy frontline. Normally, he would grab one of the swordsmen and hurl the minion into the backline with the Takedown skill.

However, this time, he didn't go for it. Instead, he turned toward Ignis and unleashed Unstoppable Raid, his ultimate.

"Odin owns ye all!" The Viking roared, summoning his allies into battle.

This was meant to be a surprise attack, but Ignis seemed ready for it.

Nice! I was getting tired of waiting for this! Ignis licked her lips.

She has been pretending she was preoccupied with farming, but she secretly paid close attention to the kid’s movements, anticipating the moment he casts his ult. Therefore, the sound cue of the ult was enough to immediately set her into motion.

Let's get this party started! Ignis whipped out her scourge and lashed at the cocky kid, stunning him in place.

Considering his slow response to this counterattack, it seemed he wasn’t expecting this turn of events.

Was she waiting for this? Jin frowned

Ignis lashed at him as soon as he finished casting this ult. It was impossible to perform this play so quickly unless she was watching him the entire time.

So, even though she was acting cocky, she was actually paying careful attention to what I'm doing. Damn. It’s so difficult to get a proper read on her.

It turned out that Howard's advice was on point. Ignis indeed had a plan all along.

Despite how barbarically she has been playing, there was always a certain amount of calculated decision-making mixed into her plays. That's what made her into an opponent who was largely straightforward but also unexpectedly tricky.

The Scourage kill stunned Jin because he was the only target it hit. The brief stun gave Ignis the opportunity to hit Jin with the scourge once more, this time with a mid-ranged basic attack.

The damage was lower compared to Orc’s other weapons, but it was nonetheless a basic attack from an early-game Orc. In other words, it hurt. Badly so.

So, it deletes almost 10% HP even with all the defense I built. Jin frowned. I can't let her hit me again.

He rolled aside as soon as the stun ended, making Ignis's attack whiff. Or, so he thought.

However, Ignis’s scourge successfully hit its target. Except, her target wasn't Jin but one of his vikings.

She probably expected me to roll in time, that’s why she didn’t bother targeting me. Jin concluded. This is so weird. Even though she always acts as if she’s underestimating me, sometimes she pulls moves like this that respect my skill level. It’s so hard to get a consistent read on her.

Thankfully, in this situation, Jin didn’t have to worry too much about that. After all, it was no longer just about him vs. Ignis. Now, he had 5 trusty vikings at this side.

On top of that, all his minions had their eyes on Ignis. That was her karma for the earlier whipping.

I have her surrounded. Jin thought. But then, why doesn't it look like she’s concerned about any of this at all?

Ignis stood her ground confidently, expressing zero intention of retreating. She only made minimal effort to create some space between them by backstepping after every whiplash.

Is she planning to fight in this situation? All by herself? Jin couldn't believe it. There was probably more to her plans than met the eye.

Of course, technically speaking, Ignis wasn't alone. She had her minions, who helped her not only by dealing damage to Jin's minions but also by contributing toward Orc's Gang Up passive.

In fact, Ignis's whipping hurt so much thanks to the presence of her minions. Just by being nearby, they were buffing her Attack Power.

Sure, her damage is good, but can she really take on my entire squad? Jin tried putting himself in Ignis's shoes to better analyze the situation. He took her position and item build into account, trying to understand what she could possibly be thinking.

No, I don't see how she can win here. Jin concluded. At least, it’s not doable unless she’s prepared to receive heavy damage in the process. I wouldn't try it in her place.

But, apparently, Ignis cared very little about common sense. Therefore, she lashed with her scourge without any intention of running away. She only backstepped away from incoming melee opponents, to make the most out of her attack range advantage.

Meanwhile, Jin’s entire army was focusing Ignis. And, to make this assault even more devastating, Jin could enlist into the army and join the attack as well. However, he decided against it.

She still has her hammer, so I rather not take any more Orc-level damage.

The earlier 15% HP he lost was still weighing on his mind. It was just one hit, but it erased almost a fifth of his health bar. These powerful basic attacks were the reason Orc was a hyper early-game class. It couldn't be trifled with.

So, instead of getting involved in the attack on Ignis, Jin swung his axe at her bowmen. The fewer minions that Orc had on her side, the harder it will be for her to eliminate enemy minions.

So, while Jin's trusty army was on the offense against the enemy commander, Jin was cleaning up the backline.

She's probably waiting for a good opportunity to use her hammer. Jin concluded from Ignis's movements.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind - it happened! Ignis stashed away her scourge and pulled out a giant sledgehammer, swinging it at all the enemies who dared to approach her!

It was a masterfully executed play. The whole time, Ignis has been patiently waiting for the swordsman and vikings to gather around her. And, once they finally lined up in front of her - Ignis busted all of them with one heavy swing!

However, the damage was far from enough to wipe out the frontline. In fact, it didn't even erase half of the vikings’ HP. Unlike how strong the Orc’s basic attacks were, her Sledgehammer skill only dealt "decent" damage.

It was because of the difference in base damage. Orc's basic attacks were devastating thanks to their high base damage, but the base damage of Orc's skills wasn't anything to write home about.

Of course, it wasn't bad damage by any means. However, it certainly paled in magnitude compared to the devastating damage of the basic attacks.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The real point of using the Sledgehammer skill was to gain access to the sledgehammer as a weapon. The Orc kept the weapon in hand even after the skill was over, and this allowed Ignis to swing it once more, this time delivering big damage that scaled like a basic attack.

BAM! A powerful blast. It felt like a truck rammed into the frontline.

All three swordsmen evaporated on the spot, and two out of the five vikings collapsed as well. They were tankier than the swordsmen, but Ignis whipped them good with her scourge earlier.

It was a powerful counterattack from Ignis, but it failed to eliminate all her foes. As such, she was bound to receive some damage.

SLASH. SLASH. SLASH. The vikings sliced and diced Ignis from three different angles.

She stepped away to make one of them whiff, but the remaining two struck home. Combined with the periodic arrows that flew her way, Ignis was already down to 60% HP.

Damn, these fuckers sure know how to throw hands. Ignis cursed. But, it's okay. I gonna wipe them out real soon!

Ignis swung her hammer once more. The Orc's movements with the sledgehammer were somewhat sluggish but the swing had a good ass AoE, hitting all enemy minions within range.

BAM! Two of the vikings flew five meters away, like the sacks of trash they were. However, the third one still lived with some magical pixel bullshit.

Damn, these vikings are real tough, huh. Ignis clicked her tongue. I was sure I’d kill them all by now. Oh well. The next attack gonna end it.

The last-standing viking slashed her without mercy, but she didn't care. Even as her HP plummeted toward 50% and below, Ignis confidently raised her sledgehammer once more.

She's going to attack again. Jin hurried to the scene. It'll be over once she connects this hit. I have to stop her here.

Jin rotated around Ignis to enter her blind spot, then he rolled forward. And, as soon as he recovered, he went for Takedown!

Not so fast! Ignis rolled underneath the Viking's grab.

"Ah!" Jin gasped. Did she know I was coming? I even made sure to sneak up to her from behind. How could she know?

I heard you rolling. Ignis smirked. You gotta be more sneaky than that if you wanna catch me off-guard.

She finished her roll and swung her sledgehammer. But, she swung not only at the viking bot. Her main target was the real Viking, Apprentece himself!

The recovery animation on Viking's Takedown was rather lengthy, so the poor kid couldn't possibly dodge this one.

BAM! The hammer rammed into Apprentece and his viking ally. The bot perished on the spot, whereas Apprentece over 15% HP.

With this, the brat's entire frontline was gone. However, he still had some pesky bowmen in the back, firing arrows at Ignis as they pleased. She was already down to 40% HP because of these whippersnappers.

These bastards had to be dealt with before Ignis continues her offense. And so, she ignored the brat in front of her and dashed toward his bowmen.

But, things were never that easy. WHAM! An axe hacked through her!

Oh, you’re picking a fight, kid? Ignis grinned.

She itched to strike back at that cocky brat, but she didn't slow down in the slightest. Despite how provocative that attack was, Ignis had her properties straight.

The bowmen come first. After that, I'll fight you all you want. That is, if you’re not gonna wuss out on me at that point.

Ignis reached her destination and swung her giant hammer. BAM! BAM! The bowmen went flying in three different directions. They fell like flies in front of Ignis's superior might.

While she was busy crushing the enemy backline, the brat stuck to her like glue from behind. He was definitely planning to continue this fight.

I have to get this kill. Jin swung his axe, hacking away at Ignis's back.

Ignis was already down to 25% at this point. Jin was so close to scoring a kill, yet so far.

Compared to Ignis's overwhelming damage output, Jin’s attacks did less than 10% damage to her. Therefore, he had to land at least three hits to kill her. And, he had no crit rate in his build, so there was no chance of a lucky hit either.

Nonetheless, at 60% HP, Jin didn't have much to worry about beating Ignis in a 1v1. Except, this was no 1v1.

Ignis still the remains of her minion wave: three swordsmen and one injured bowman that Jin didn’t finish off. And, all of them were all after Jin's blood now.

I can't get this kill. Jin concluded. But, at least, I'll make sure she has to leave the lane after this.

Jin swung his axe at Ignis once more. Without a Dodge Roll, she had no chance of dodging this attack from point-blank.

"Look at this kid going." Ignis grinned as she swung her hammer in retaliation. The same way she couldn't dodge the incoming axe attack, the kid also couldn't dodge this hammer!

BAM! Another 15% erased! Ignis was like the Hulk, smashing everything in her path with brute strength!

That sure taught the kid a lesson. He didn’t dare to continue the offense any further.

This is as far as I go. Jin turned his back to the enemy and began his retreat. Falling below 40% would be too dangerous for this situation. There's also the possibility I'll be ganked, so I have to get away now.

At a glance, it looked as if Jin needlessly placed himself in this terrible position in order to hit Ignis one last time. However, it was a crucial strike that made this entire play worth it.

As Ignis fell below 20% HP, she was bound to recall back to base after this. No matter how confident she was in her strength, there was no way she'll remain in lane with such grave injuries.

To confirm this, Jin briefly turned around during the escape. As he predicted, Ignis wasn't chasing him. Instead, she retreated toward the jungle entrance on her side of the lane. And, soon after their eyes met, Ignis began recalling.

She probably realized that Jin read her intentions, so there was no point venturing deeper into the jungle to hide the fact she was recalling. It’d be just a waste of precious time to try and hide such an obvious play.

Alright. Jin nodded in satisfaction and continued retreating.

He reached all the way to his tower area but he didn't step inside. Instead, he turned around once and faced his foes head-on. At over 40% HP, he had more than enough leeway to deal with such a small squad of minions.

So, she's already gone. Jin glanced at the area around the enemy jungle. As expected, Ignis was nowhere in sight. While Jin was making his escape, Ignis successfully recalled to base.

Wasn’t that a little too fast? Jin wondered. I thought I’ll get to see the end of her recalling animation. Hmm. Maybe I miscalculated.

It felt like the recalling animation should have taken a second or two longer, but it was hard to tell for sure. Jin was probably so focused on executing a flawless escape that his sense of time was distorted.

Anyway, I need to get rid of the minions and also recall. The plan was to reset the lane situation. Jin failed to get a kill, so this was the next best thing he managed to arrange.

For this to be called a true 'reset', I need to recall soon as well. It’ll be my loss if I don’t return to lane as quickly as Ignis does.

To that end, Jin refused to use his Throw Axe skill even now. The Axe Blitz follow-up of the skill was more than just an escape tool, it was also a handy mobility skill in general. Throwing the axe across its maximum distance and blinking to it was faster than running the same distance by foot.

Therefore, Jin planned to use it after recalling to base. It was meant to cut down the time it’d take him to return to lane,

Alright then. Jin cut down the swordsmen and the bowmen, keeping himself alive at 20% HP. It was an extremely dangerous HP value, if not for the fact he was just a few steps away from his tower area.

Nobody could gank him to death here. Hawk was on the other side of the map when this entire play started, so no matter how good he was at showing at the “right place, at the right time”, some things were outright impossible, even for a man of his skill.

Technically, I believe he had enough time to rotate all the way over here. But, that’s assuming he started rotating right when this play began. That’d be too perfect, even for him.

As such, Jin dismissed that unlikely threat. He concluded that, despite his low HP, he was actually perfectly safe here.

Life is just a resource like any other. Jin thought. If I can sacrifice HP to get a better result before recalling, then it’s best to do so.

And so, he retreated closer to his tower. Overall, this was a satisfactory result.

He merely forced a draw, but that was plenty an achievement against an early-game Orc. At the very least, it was a big improvement compared to the state of the lane before that.

But, little did Jin know about the surprise lying in waiting for him on his way back...