“Are you for real?” Ellen stared at Trever in disbelief. “I have no words, really. Even hugging a Turret is apparently too much for trash like you.”

“He’s too fed... not my fault...” Trever mumbled, staring at his screen with dead eyes. He didn’t care anymore, neither about the match nor about Ellen’s words.

“Tch, what a useless fellow. Seems like I have to gank Bot before things get out of hand.” Ellen sighed as if it was a pain, but she secretly smirked. My, a rookie who can break Trever like this? How delightful~ I’ll make sure to treat him re~al good, teehee.

“Sorry dear, it seems I’ll have to bully your boyfriend a little.” Ellen winked at Julia.

“Bully?” Julia raised an eyebrow. “No way that gonna happen.”

“My, you think the world of him, don’t you? How lovely~” Ellen smiled from ear to ear. You only tempt me more and more to mess with that kid. Oh dear, I hope this doesn’t get out of hand, teehee~

While she was heading to Bot Lane, her prey was busy pushing the lane Trever left unprotected.

“Okay, let’s go!” Lars grinned as the enemy Turret collapsed. This was usually a good time to retreat, but Lars kept pushing full throttle. He was hella fed at this point, what could possibly happen? He was unstoppable, yo!

Meanwhile, the enemy Ranger was exposed by one of Gilbert’s Wards in Bot Jungle. He was coming to gank Bot Lane, no doubt about it.

Okay, come at me, yo! I hope you gonna be more fun than that crappy Pirate. Lars didn’t even consider dodging this obvious flanking. He kept pushing the lane as if nothing was going on, inviting the Ranger to come here and fight.

Suddenly, the Ranger appeared right behind him! What a surprise! Well, not really. He heard the sound cue for Wolf Companion and immediately rolled aside, dodging the wolf. The wolf CC was the standard opening for Ranger ganks, so Lars knew how to handle that stuff.

“Oh!” Lars was hit by an arrow while recovering from the roll. Hey, that Ranger wasn’t half bad! He came here fully prepared for the possibility his wolf would be dodged, so he fired another shot right away! Rather than being fazed by Lars’s quick dodge, he... he?

Oh, it’s a chick? Lars realized the enemy Ranger was a woman, it was literally the first time he saw her this match. Except for Julia’s Pyromancer, he was sure the rest of the enemy lineup was filled with males. That’s when it hit him.

“Wait, is that the ‘goddess’ you mentioned!?” His eyes lit up.

“Who knows.” Aron dodged. “Just... Just don’t do anything rush.”

“Heh, what’s that? Worried about lil’ ol’ me?”

“You wish. I Just gave you some advice to keep the exam fair.”

“Heh, is that so?” Lars kicked his lips. “Okay, let’s see what this ‘final boss’ of yours got for me!”

His duel with the Ranger began. With Wolf Companion on cooldown, the only other skill Ranger had was Beartrap, but it didn’t do shit in fights. There was also the ult, The Hunt is On, but a Ranger would usually activate it at the beginning of the gank, so it was probably on cooldown too.

Therefore, the only tool the Ranger had right now was her basic attacks. Lars had both Trickshot and Trickslide available, but there was no reason to be hasty here. His opponent didn’t have any tools anyway, so he decided to keep his skills in store for when the Ranger was gonna flee.

Thus, the fight boiled down to basic attacks. It was a clash of pure mechanical skill, just how Lars liked it! Let’s see how good this goddess can shoot!

He shot, she dodged to the right and fired back, he sidestepped and hit her, she fired but missed, he shot and she dodged to the right again. It was a back and forth of rolls, bullets and arrows. That Ranger was sure good at dodging, making Lars miss almost half the time despite his 200% accuracy. But...

Is that all? Lars pouted. Like, she was decent and all, at least a Gold player. But, if that’s all she had, then the Pirate he faced at the beginning was leagues beyond. So much for the “final boss” he was waiting for. Boo.

It didn’t help that her shots barely dealt any damage even when they connected, probably because Lars was way too fed. Still, even without that advantage, he landed more shots than her. While she brought him from 80% HP to 60% HP, he barraged her all the way from 100% to 20%. The fight was as good as over.

That’s when the most predictable thing ever happened: the Ranger began retreating. She summoned her wolf as a mount and rode it toward the jungle. Lars was prepared for this scenario from the moment they started fighting... or so he thought.

Oh snap! I didn’t realize we were this close to the jungle! Their fight originally started deep into the lane and Lars watched out for escapes the whole time. But, at some point, the fight moved to the edge of the jungle, without Lars even noticing.

Welp, doesn’t matter. You're not getting away, yo! Lars activated the Trickslide he had been saving this whole time and chased the Ranger.

The wolf mount provided increased movement speed, which allowed traveling a longer distance over time. On the other hand, Trickslide was a like sudden burst of supersonic speed and stuff! There was no escape! He was gonna close the distance in an instant-

“Gah!?” His Trickslide was interrupted!? He found himself standing in place, stunned. A Beartrap awaited him right at the jungle’s entrance and he slid straight into it! Dang it!

The stun from Beartrap was a really nasty CC. Its stun duration scaled with its level, reaching all the way to 3 seconds at max level. That freakin’ Ranger had all the time in the world to get away!

“When there’s a Ranger, you better buy Cleanse against Beartrap” that’s what Yuel always said. Lars never liked spending gold on this costly utility skill, but this game he had enough spare cash thanks to being fed.

Good thing I bought this thing. You’re not getting away so easily, yo! Lars acitaved Cleanse, freeing himself from the stun. He wasn’t done yet!

The Beartrap’s stun was cancelled, but it didn’t change the fact his Trickslide was interrupted midway and was now on cooldown. The Ranger only got farther and farther away on her mount, soon getting out of the range of Lars’s basics attacks.

Nevertheless, Lars refused to give up just yet. Aside from Trickslide, he also saved up his other skill for this sort of situation. His basics attacks couldn’t reach anymore, but Trickshot could still make it!

Wait for it. Wait for it. Lars carefully scanned the available walls in the jungle. Unlike the open and straightforward lane, the jungle was a messy area with many walls and narrow passages. Even the almighty god of trick shots needed a moment to take aim.

There! Probably! He fired Trickshot. While the Ranger was fleeing deep into the right, his bullet flew to the left. A straight Trickshot wouldn’t finish her off and it was unlikely it’d even reach her. As such, there was no point shooting straight at her, it had to be a bounce shot!

The bullet hit a wall on the left side, then bounced and darted to the right. The angle was great! His bullet looked like a homing missile! It was gonna hit for sure! It gotta hit! C’mon, hit!

It... didn’t hit.

“Gah! Crap! It was so close!” Lars smacked his forehead. It was so freakin’ close! The bullet reached all the way to the Ranger, but it strayed a little too much to the right. It missed by like a centimeter! No, a millimeter! A fraction of a millimeter! If she took just one more step to the right - he’d finish her for sure!

That wasn’t just Lars’s exaggeration. With the bullet passing right beside her, Ellen realized this as well.

Eh? My. My my. My my my! Ellen blinked repeatedly as she stared at her screen. Her index finger was just about to press ‘D’, she was just about to turn right. If she were to press it a split-second earlier - she’d be dead by now. She totally would had been killed, by the hands of a rookie!

My, what a cute little rookie we have on our hands! Ellen’s eyes emitted a dangerous glint. How do they expect me to sit here and not bully this cutie!? Forgive me Aron, for I’m about to sin! Teehee~

She went easy on the rookie the first time, trying to abide by Aron’s rules. However, that was a terrible understatement, this adorable little rookie didn’t need any handicaps. He was a dangerous beast, which Ellen had to tame with an iron fist.

“July, sweetie, can I borrow a bit of your time to clear these camps?” Ellen pinged two jungle camp in Bot Jungle.

“Hm? Okay, just a moment.” Julia joined Ellen in the jungle after clearing the minion wave.

“My, aren’t you a doll. Thanks.”

“I don’t mind helping, but why didn’t you clear these camp on your way to Bot? They were along the way, I could’ve helped you back then as well.”

“Oh, nice map awareness. Hmhm, I wonder why I didn’t~” Ellen stuck out her tongue. “Guess I’m a cute ditz like that~”

Welp, so much for that ‘goddess’. Lars shrugged and returned to Bot. He failed to kill the Ranger, but she didn’t impress him in the slightest.

Her mechanical skill was that of a Gold player at best, and she didn’t achieve anything special during the fight. He still had 60% HP left, so she didn’t even force him to retreat from the lane. Therefore, he kept pushing without a care in the world, nobody could stop him at this point anyway.

Just as he returned to pushing, he was ganked again. It was that Ranger again, back with... full HP? Huh? That’s weird. How did she restore her HP from 20% to 100% so quickly? Did she recall to base and rode here on her wolf? That didn’t sound right, considering she popped out of the jungle behind him.

So, she... eh... returned to base, healed up, entered the jungle, circled around and came out behind him? All that in less than a minute? It sounded bogus, but maybe the wolf mount was fast enough to achieve that. Anyway, he just had to beat the crap outta her again. No problem, yo.

So, they fought again. Just like before, it was mostly a one-sided exchange of shots. But, something felt different from last time.

The Ranger’s mechanical skill now felt a league higher, something that’d befit a Platinum player rather than a Gold one. Did she underestimate him last time? Or, maybe she got used to fighting him?

Welp, it didn’t matter. Even though he called it “Platinum tier” mechanical skill and he was Platinum himself, that didn’t mean her mechanical skill came anywhere close to his. Hers was just the average skill level he was used to fighting in Platinum. However, in pretty much every Ranked match, Lars always stood above the rest when it came to mechanical skill. Therefore, when it came to 1v1, he wouldn’t lose to another Platinum player, yo!

Lars fell from 65% HP to 40%, whereas the Ranger fell all the way from 100% to 20%. It was an undisputed victory yet again. This “goddess” was fine and all, but she wasn't anything special. He had this in the bag!

... or so he thought.

Wha!? Another trap!? He slid into a Beartrap during the chase, for the second time now. All his attention was locked on his prey, so he forgot to look out for traps. Cleanse was still on cooldown, so he could do nothing but stand there and watch his prey getting away. Dang it! Next time I’mma get her! 200%, yo!

Less than a minute later, the Ranger returned to pester him again. And, yet again, she was fully restored. How was that even possible!? It’s like she flew back and forth between her base and Bot on a freakin’ rocket! Speed hax!

“Just what’s the deal with this Ranger?!” Lars gritted his teeth and steeled himself for another engagement. This Ranger was seriously getting on his nerves, yo! She poked him for almost no damage, ran away and returned a second later with full HP. By the time he restored from 40% HP to 45% HP, she somehow went from 20% all the way to 90%! Screw her, yo!

“Heh, she’s pretty annoying to deal with, right?” Gilbert chuckled. “Just look at the items she built, then you’ll understand.”

“Her items?” Lars made a dumb face and opened the stats menu. He played enough Ranger in Ranked, as both as Carry and Jungler, so he knew the gist of Ranger builds. What could possibly be so special- “Huh!? What’s this crap!?”

First she built Ninja Tabi, boots which provided both attack speed and power. So far standard, no problem there. But then, she built... Bloodedge and Devourer’s Mask? Huh? What the actual heck?

Bloodedge was a lifesteal item with at least some power attached to it, but Devourer’s Mask was a completely defensive items. Who even built Devourer’s on a Carry!? No wonder her shots dealt less damage than bites from a toothless bunny, she barely had any attack power!

She could at least buy Samurai Tabi instead of Ninja Tabi to get more power, but nooooo. Why the heck did she buy a heavy lifesteal item like Bloodedge before buying any power? Lars couldn’t count how many times Yuel lectured him about the importance of buying power before lifesteal. Was that chick a noob or something!?

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And again, who’d even build Devourer’s Mask on Ranger!? It provided HP, defense and HP5. That was clearly an item for a bruiser, not an assassin! What was going on!? He didn’t even.

“The hell is wrong with this girl?” Lars didn’t even know how to react to this madness. “Her build is crap! Crap, I’m tellin’ ya!”

“Crap, eh.” Aron sneered. “This is actually a good question for the exam. Tell me, what do you think the goal of that build?”

“No freakin’ idea, dude. That build is trash, that’s not how you build Ranger. With Ranger, you go hard or you go home, yo! You don’t build twenty defensive items like some pussy.”

“Yes, if you consider meta builds, then this is definitely unconventional. But, now that you saw her build, can you guess what she has been doing?”

“Nope, no idea, dude. This build is weird and I don’t like it.”

“... alright then. Maybe you need a little refresher on the item effects, considering your terrible score in quiz.” Aron cleared his throat. “Bloodedge gives +50% lifesteal for 5 seconds when you drop below 20% HP, that can occur once every 60 seconds. Devourer’s Mask restores 20% of your MaxHP over 5 seconds after killing a camp boss. Now you see where this is going?”

“Nope, this build transcends my understanding of the universe.”

“... really now.” Aron frowned. Was this kid 100% brawn and 0% brains? Sigh. “Alright, I’ll enlighten you: It’s a defensive hit-and-run build.”

“Huh? How can a hit-and-run be ‘defensive’? You’re supposed to charge in, CC them and burst them with yo ult. You need maximum DPS, not defense.”

“But, what if your plan isn’t to finish them off on the first try?” Aron’s asked.

“Wait, are you sure you should discuss this?” Gilbert asked. “Aren’t we supposed to keep these things secret during the exam?”

“It seems she’s about to get serious against him and I can’t rotate to help.” Aron explained. “It’ll be more fair if he knows how she plays.”

“If you say so.” Gilbert shrugged.

“Anyway, she doesn’t kill you the first time.” Aron turned to Lars. “She pokes you, fights you until she’s at 20% and then escapes. That’s how she plays.”

“Huh? You telling me she allows me get her down to 20%?”

“Yes, you could say that.” Aron nodded. “That way, the first jungle camp she visits can get her below 20% with just a few hits. That’s when Bloodedge procs and gives her +50% lifesteal, which allows her restore about 30% HP with attacks. Then, once she kills the camp boss, Devourer’s Mask restores another 20%.”

“Okay okay okay, I totally lost ya there with all these percentages.” Lars shook his head. “So basically, ya tellin’ me she’s fine with losing HP, because she can restore a shit ton of HP in the Jungle? Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s the gist of it. By clearing two jungle camps, she quickly gets back to full HP and returns to poke you again.”

“Well screw her then.” Lars was uncharacteristically grumpy. Until now, he was sure he held the upper hand in all his fights against the Ranger. But what, it was just a part of her script all along? Did she simply let Lars beat her down to 20% HP because she knew she’d immediately restore back to full HP? Gah! Who played Ranger like that!? Seriously, what was that chick’s problem!?

“Heh, okay then!” Lars wore a twitching grin. “She can have all the heals in the world, but it won’t help her once I kill her for good!”

“Yes, but wai-”

“Just you watch! I’ll shut her down for sure this time!”

... did I just make things worse? Aron frowned. Anybody with at least half a brain should had realized that Ellen wasn’t an opponent to tackle without CC, but this kid... things might turn ugly. Without realizing it, Lars was already caught in the spider’s web.

“I’ll try rotating there to help him.” Gilbert said.

“Please do.” Aron nodded.

“Come at me, yo!” Lars faced the Ranger for the third time. She was one heck of a pesky opponent to deal with, but the challenge ignited a flame in him. That chick was totally sitting there wearing a smug right now, but he was gonna wipe it off her damn face! He had no plans losing to some underhanded tactics, yo!

Geh, was she this good last time? Even though it was their third duel, Lars still couldn't get a proper read on the Ranger’s skills. It felt like she became stronger and stronger each time they fought, that always threw him off at the beginning of the fight. Was that also part of her evil plan? Welp, it didn’t matter. He just had to beat the heck outta her!

As much as he hated to admit it, the way she fought right now... she was good. Kinda. Like, not THAT amazing, but definitely nothing to sneeze at.

It took him a while to adjust himself to the speed of her dodges and shots. In particular, she did a great job evading Lars’s shots by side stepping and rolling to the right. Her aim wasn’t half bad either, but her attacks lacked a punch due to her trashy build. Rather than receiving serious blows, it felt more like he was dodging mosquito bites.

Still, he dodged everything that came flying his way. Even if these attacks didn’t deal much damage, they still registered as “attacks” in his brain and his body instinctively reacted. This duel was a joke, really.

Once Lars got used to the Ranger’s pace, he easily pressured her. Even if she was in her “Super Saiyan 2” mode or whatever, she had nothing on Lars. He was faster, stronger and more accurate, no way he’d be beaten by somebody who didn’t even try winning for real. Players who didn't go all out should go home, yo!

Lars fell from 45% HP to 20%, while the Ranger fell from 90% to 20%. Even though they were roughly matched in remaining HP, the Ranger followed her precious script and mounted her wolf. She was gonna flee again, without even trying to settle this. What a pesky freakin’ Ranger.

But things weren’t gonna go her way this time, yo! Lars intentionally engaged her as far as possible from the jungle, there was nowhere for her to esca-

“Wha?! Again!?” Lars’s cried out. The jungle was somehow right behind the Ranger! They began their fight so far away, but at some point it dragged all the way out here before he noticed. Was that also part of the Ranger’s ploy? Gah! Seriously, this freakin’ chick...!

“Wait, don’t chase-”

“I’mma finish her off, yo!” Lars darted after the Ranger. He wasn’t gonna let her get away again! He won every battle so far and he was gonna win the war as well!

I.

Caught.

You.

Ellen smirked. Their waltz was electrifying while it lasted, but it was time to put that rookie in his place. Brute strength was cute and all, but it couldn’t defeat superior smarts.

It’s okay, I pressured her harder than ever. Lars kept chasing the Ranger. I can still catch up!

Chasing after an enemy with just 20% HP was risky, but Lars didn’t care. That Ranger had no intention facing him anyway, so he’d just shoot her in the back. One successful Trickslide would allow him to close the distance in an instant, then it’d be game over for that chick. He only had to be wary of the bear trap, because there’s always a bear trap.

Where did she place it this time? Was it right at the jungle’s entrance like the first time? Or, was it a little deeper like last time? The trap was semi-transparent and blended well with the jungle’s terrain, so it was twenty times harder to spot inside the jungle. But, it wasn’t impossible. He’d just have to concentrate 200% after stepping into the jungle-

“Wha!? It was outside!?” Lars jumped. He just triggered the freakin’ trap! It awaited him right outside the jungle! He was 200% sure it’d be further ahead, but nope! Gah! That Ranger played him for a fool!

Geh, she gonna get away. Lars clicked his tongue. Not once, not twice, but thrice! That’s how many times he let his prey slip away! Yeah, run back home you puss- huh!?

“Say what!?” Lars was dumbfounded. The Ranger... she didn’t run!? She turned around and headed straight toward Lars! Was she was gonna fight him after all? Awesome! They’d finally settle this once and for all! ...or not.

Gah, how long is the stun on this thing? Did she spend all her SP on it!? Daim, woman! His enemy was right in front of him but he was still stunned, unable to do anything. And of course Cleanse was still down, because it had a cooldown of five billion years. Gah! He was like a sitting duck right now!

But it’s okay. Yeah, it should be fine. With her low attack power, she wouldn’t be able to kill him fast from 20%-

“The hunt is on!” The Ranger shouted. Oh, crap. OH CRAP! Crap crap CRAAAAP! Her ult was available all this time?! Why didn’t she use it at the beginning of the gank like any reasonable Ranger!? Gaaaah, this chick was seriously bonkers!

Making up for the lack of power, Beartrap lowered Lars’s defenses and increased the Ranger’s attack speed. And, if that wasn’t enough, her ult now gave her a shitton of extra damage against a marked enemy. She was gonna destroy Lars before he’d even get a chance to act! Well ain’t that just 200% fair!?

That’s when it finally hit him: the three battles they fought, were they just a preparation for this one decisive moment? She let him win time and again, intoxicating him with a sense of superiority. As a result, he got overconfident and commited a careless mistake, a fatal mistake. He was playing into her hands all along! Gah!!!

Lars turned numb. His body felt like lead and his breathing became ragged. It was the first time he experienced such despair while playing Classmancers.

There’s nothing he could do, he couldn’t even twitch. His Trickshooter just stood there like a manquient, offering himself to be ravaged by arrows. All his skill and strength were useless.

This sense of dread was crippling, yet weirdly familiar. Where did he experience this before? Oh, yeah... the finals of the regional basketball tournament, when his precious 3-pointers got shut down by the giants on the enemy team. He practiced these 3-pointers to death until he regained his status as the unstoppable ace, believing himself to be at the top of the basketball world. But, he was proven wrong, terribly wrong.

That’s when he gave up basketball. He felt so powerless, so useless, just like now. He thought he was hot stuff in Classmancers because everybody praised his “sick mechanical skills”, but he was so lame right now. Just look at him, getting his ass handed to him by some smartass chick after playing like a legit dumbass.

Was this the level of competitive Classmancers? Was he actually just a scrub when it came to playing competitively? It hurt. It hurt a lot. Was he... going to run away from Classmancers as well?

Heh, so lame. He smiled in self-mockery. Somewhere deep inside, he never got over the feeling he “ran away” from basketball because it became too harsh. It didn’t help that Taison often laughed at him on the matter, despite also being a quitter.

Lars quit basketball because it didn’t let players be active throughout the whole match, at least that was his excuse. But, what about this situation? Classmancers was definitely a game where all five teammates stayed very active throughout the whole match, but here he was: alone, stunned in the middle of nowhere.

Where was his team? Where was this so-called “cooperation” he quit basketball for? Yet again, he found himself banging his head against an impassable wall, alone. There’s nothing he could do in this situation, he lost.

So what, I just gonna quit again? Don’t screw with me! He slammed his table. The heck was he mopping about? Didn’t he aim to play on the highest competitive level? Didn’t he plan on going to Ivy HIgh and play on Venom together with Yuel? This was just a Junior High exam, it was still a stage for scrubs compared to what he dreamed of! Who was gonna give up so early into the game, yo!?

So what if his defense was lowered by Beartrap? So what if the Ranger dealt a shitton of damage with The Hunt is On? Her damage output was way below average for a Ranger, she might not kill him in time before the stun ends! There might still be a chance!

It wasn’t over yet! He returned his hands on the keyboard and mouse. All he needed was a second, even a millisecond would do. He just had to dodge roll to throw the Ranger off, then fire Trickshot while she’s busy readjusting her aim. A single bounce Trickshot would be enough to finish her off, there was even a great wall for him to use. He already figured out the exact angle for the shot, all he needed was to get out of this freakin’ stun!

He held a finger on the ‘A” key and smashed the spacebar button like his life depended on it, because it literally depended on it! Roll! Roll! Roll! He had to roll aside right as the stun was going to end, he couldn’t waste a single moment! Let me out already! OUT I said!

One after another, the Ranger’s arrows pierced his Trickshooter. His HP percentage rapidly slipped away.

10%

7%

4%

1%

“Okay!” He got out! He finally rolled to his left! He was still alive! Woohoo! 1% HP, yo! He had a chance! There was a faint light at the end of the tunnel!

He pointed his gun at a faraway wall and activated Trickshot, there was no hesitation. Jungle walls had curvy shapes, so it was difficult getting proper bounces off them. However, he had more than enough time during that stupid stun to figure the best angle for the shot. He was gonna land this shot and defeat-

An arrow happened. It pierced his Trickshooter straight through the skull, delivering the finishing blow. He collapsed before he even got to fire Trickshot.

『You have been killed!』

It was over. The faint ray of hope he saw was just an illusion, it was brutally crushed by the Ranger. Despite struggling to the very end, he was powerless against her.

A “goddess”... maybe she really was. From beginning to end, everything followed her script as if it was fate. Lars couldn’t do anything against it, he was stripped of all the strength he believed he had, it was so lame. He was powerless, completely powerless...

“That’s why I told you to not chase.” Aron said. “If you judge her build only by the meta, then yes it’d be considered meme. But, the competitive scene is where metas are born in the first place, so... hey, are you listening?”

“Huh? Ah...” Lars opened and closed his mouth like a fish. His back was crooked and he stared down on this keyboard with empty eyes.

Not good. Aron frowned. This was the outcome he feared most, perhaps he should had stopped the match before it got to this point. “Hey, are you alright?” He shook Lars’s shoulder.

“Huh? Ah...” Lars gave something that vaguely resembled a response. It was just another defeat, he suffered hundreds of those in Ranked. However, none of them was as crushing as this one.

Where was his sick mechanical skill? What happened to his awesome trick shots? None of them worked against this Ranger. Why did he lose? What was he lacking? What was he missing?

It’s as if he hit a wall again, just like in basketball. No matter how hard he trained or how many matches he won, was he just a nobody in the end? Just another scrub among the millions playing Classmancers? A speck of dust which couldn’t achieve anything?

“Hmm, I don’t think I can finish her off.” Gilbert said. Huh? What was he doing? Lars threw a glance toward Gilbert’s monitor. It showed the same spot Lars just died at, the Ranger was frozen and Gilbert’s Cryomancer shot basic attacks at her.

For a moment, it looked like Gilbert would finish her off. Alas, Support Cryomancer didn’t build much power, so his attacks barely inflicted any damage. Once the freeze duration ended, the Ranger summoned her wolf mount and dashed the heck outta there.

“Tch, so close.” Gilbert clicked his tongue. “Well, I can’t do much with my damage.” He turned to Lars. “If you waited a little longer, I would’ve frozen her for you.”

“Oh.” Lars blinked, it finally hit him. Yeah, that’s what was missing: Yuel wasn’t here to support him. He was so used to Yuel being around, setting up the perfect stage for kills, that he forgot he even needed that kind of supporting.

If Yuel were here, he’d find the perfect opportunity to CC that Ranger long enough for Lars to finish her off. They wouldn’t even need to discuss it, it’d just happen. Their teamwork became as natural as breathing for Lars, they almost communicated telepathically, yo.

But Yuel wasn’t here, Lars’s Support was Gilbert right now. Gilbert seemed like a decent dude, he nearly got there on time before Lars was taken down. If they were perfectly synchronized, they could had turned the tables on the Ranger without any trouble.

But Gilbert wasn’t Yuel, so he couldn’t read Lars’s mind. They had to discuss their plans ahead of time to cooperate well. It was something so simple and obvious, but it completely escaped Lars’s mind.

And there was Aron too, who warned Lars and issued a retreat. If that was Yuel’s warning, Lars would had automatically complied, since he had 200% trust in Yuel’s judgment. But, did he even bother listening to Aron? Nope, he just charged in like a madman.

Aron even went out of his way to explain the Ranger’s strategy, to give Lars all the tools to deal with this situation. Did Lars listen? Nope, he just got triggered because the Ranger played stupid, even though the only one being stupid was actually him. He had reliable teammates right beside him, yet he tried winning the match all by himself and drove himself into a corner in the process.

“Heh, haha.” Lars smacked his forehead. Seriously, what was he doing? He complained his teammates lacked the means to help him in basketball, yet here he was, rejecting the help his teammates COULD provide him in Classmancers. He didn’t heed Aron’s warnings and he didn’t wait for Gilbert’s support. Instead, he got carried away after defeating the Pirate, thinking he’s on the top of the world. How lame.

“Welp, that one is on me.” Larrs scratched his head. “Should have retreated like Aron said, or at least waited for Gilbert. Derp.”

He’s already back on his feet? Aron was taken aback. “... good, as long as you understand. She’s an opponent you need to tackle with CC.”

“Yeah, learned that the hard way. I was really lame in that fight, haha.”

“You shouldn’t feel too bad about losing to her” Aron wore a complicated expression. “She may not look like much at first glance, but she rips you apart before you realize if you underestimate her. You can win countless battles against her, but she’ll win the war. That’s how her nickname was born: Athena, the goddess of war.”

“Whoa, are ya trying to console me, dude?”

“Hmph, just stating facts” Aron sneered, but a faint smile creeped onto his lips. Deep down, he was glad Lars didn’t lose spirit from that crushing defeat, that Lars didn’t become another Trever.

In the end, that defeat served as a much needed lesson for Lars. It taught him to not overestimate himself and to cooperate with his teammates. All in all, it was a great outcome.

“I take it you can keep playing?” Aron asked.

“Huh? Of course, yo!” Lars grinned and waved a fist. “Next time I fight that Athena dude, I’mma mop the floor with her!”

... did this kid really learn anything from that fight? Aron sighed.

With this, Lars’s long war with Athena came to an end. He lost this one, but next time he was gonna get her for sure, yo!