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LoL - I Will Become the GOAT
Chapter 16 - Winner Takes All

Chapter 16 - Winner Takes All

Quest Progress: Claim the Crown.

Finals Record: 1-1.

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The team huddled over the draft screen, tension thick in the air. Alan leaned forward, his mind racing. They couldn’t let Rock Solid’s aggressive, snowballing style dictate the pace again.

They were so close to victory, but the enemy had momentum in this series. He needed something to shake things up. Alan decided to suggest something risky.

A lane swap—a high-risk, high-reward strategy that could neutralize Rock Solid’s strong bot lane and allow Green Tipped Bananas to play to their strengths.

“We haven’t practiced lane swaps,” Balls said, frowning.

“We don’t need to practice,” Alan replied confidently. “You’ve got the mechanics to handle this. If you can hold 1v2 as Malphite or Cho’Gath, we can dodge the Twitch and Karthus lane entirely. Nior and BladeSong will scale top lane, and Hai can pick away Evelynn to break up their combo.”

Balls hesitated, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

Creativity +1

Adaptability +1

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The draft began, and Rock Solid stuck to their strategy, banning Kassadin, Sivir, and Janna. Voyboy took Malphite top attempting to pick away one of Ball's known comfort picks.

Balls was fine to respond with his Cho'Gath. While Hai took away Evelynn, denying Naryt the pick that had devastated them in Game 2.

Rock Solid picked Twitch and Karthus again for their bot lane. As prepared, Nior and BladeSong secured Soraka and Tristana, a duo designed to survive and scale.

Naryt locked in Master Yi, a high-damage jungle threat. And scarra finished their draft with his Ryze.

With the last pick of the draft, Alan locked in Morgana, a perfect counter to Rock Solid’s magic-damage-heavy team of Ryze, Karthus, and Malphite.

The final matchups were:

Green Tipped Bananas: Soraka, Tristana, Morgana, Evelynn, Cho'Gath

Rock Solid: Malphite, Master Yi, Ryze, Twitch, Karthus

Alan grinned. “Let’s flip the script.”

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As the lanes settled, the lane swap took Rock Solid completely by surprise. Before the minions reached their destinations, Alan pinged his teammates, reaffirming the plan.

“Stick to the swap,” he said over comms. “Balls, you’re on survival mode. Nior, BladeSong—play to scale top. We dodge their bot lane, and Hai will keep Yi in check.”

“Got it,” Balls replied. “I’ll handle the pressure.”

“We’ll hold top,” BladeSong added. “Let’s keep it clean.”

Hai, meanwhile, used Evelynn’s stealth to invade Rock Solid’s jungle. He slipped into the wraith camp unnoticed, stealing the small minions with Hate Spike before claiming the large one with Smite. As he moved toward the red buff, he spotted Naryt’s Master Yi heading toward the bot side jungle.

“Yi’s pathing bot,” Hai said. “He’ll be there soon. Balls, get ready—they might dive.”

At 5 minutes, Rock Solid set up a dive on Balls under the bot turret. Twitch and Karthus shoved the wave aggressively, aiming to crash it into the tower just as Naryt’s Master Yi approached from the jungle. Twitch opened with Ambush, his extended-range shots targeting Balls while Karthus followed up with Lay Waste. However, Balls anticipated the attack. As Twitch positioned to deal more damage, Balls landed a perfectly timed Rupture, knocking him up under the turret. The tower shot connected, chunking Twitch’s health and forcing him to retreat.

Seeing Twitch fall back, Karthus committed to the dive, flashing forward to land a Wall of Pain and Lay Waste combination. Balls responded immediately, flashing backward to avoid the damage and following up with Feral Scream, silencing Karthus and stopping him mid-combo. With Twitch already out of the fight, Karthus had no choice but to retreat as the turret chipped away at his health.

Moments later, Naryt’s Master Yi arrived, determined to salvage the dive. He activated Alpha Strike, teleporting onto Balls to initiate the play. But Balls was ready. Another precisely placed Rupture halted Yi in his tracks, lifting him into the air and giving the turret enough time to fire a second shot. Yi tried to auto-attack his way to victory, but Balls had conserved just enough health from the earlier skirmish to hold his ground. As the final turret shot landed, Yi fell.

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“An enemy has been slain!” the announcer declared.

Balls exhaled sharply, his voice calm but elated. “Karthus no Flash.”

“All that solo queue practice really paid off,” Hai said, laughing. “That was brilliant, Balls.”

Balls grinned. “Thanks. Bot’s handled.”

Meanwhile, in the top lane, the swap paid dividends. With Soraka’s heals and Tristana’s range, BladeSong and Nior steadily whittled down Voyboy’s Malphite.

At 7 minutes, Hai joined them for a dive. Evelynn’s Hate Spike and Tristana’s Rocket Jump forced Voyboy to flash under turret. Alan’s Dark Binding enabled Tristana to finish the kill onto Malphite.

“Nice dive, Alan,” BladeSong said. “We’re snowballing now.”

By 15 minutes, the map was firmly in Green Tipped Bananas’ control. Hai’s Evelynn roamed freely, creating pressure in all three lanes. Alan’s Morgana became a pivotal figure, landing Dark Bindings that set up picks and Black Shields that nullified key abilities.

At Dragon, Rock Solid tried to force a fight. Twitch opened with Spray and Pray, shredding through the front line, while Karthus’s Requiem rained down. Alan, anticipating the play, shielded BladeSong’s Tristana just as Karthus’s ultimate hit, saving her from certain death.

Hai capitalized, flanking with Evelynn and deleting Karthus before he could do more damage. Balls’s Cho’Gath silenced Ryze mid-combo, and Tristana cleaned up the fight with a triple kill.

“Dragon’s ours,” Hai said, securing the objective with Smite.

Rock Solid clung to hope, relying on Voyboy’s Malphite for engages and Twitch’s damage to turn fights. At 27 minutes, they found an opening near Baron. Voyboy flashed in with Unstoppable Force, catching Alan’s Morgana and Hai’s Evelynn in the knock-up. Twitch unleashed Spray and Pray, and for a moment, it seemed like Green Tipped Bananas might crumble.

But Alan stayed calm. His Zhonya’s Ring negated Twitch’s burst, and a perfectly placed Black Shield protected Tristana as she kited back. Balls re-entered the fight with a Rupture and silence onto both carries, allowing Hai to take out Twitch from a flank. Without their carries, Rock Solid collapsed.

Clutch +2

“Baron,” Alan called. “This is game.”

With Baron buff, Green Tipped Bananas methodically dismantled Rock Solid’s base. Tristana’s range and damage tore through turrets, while Morgana and Evelynn punished any attempt to engage. A final fight at the Nexus saw Balls land a Flash Rupture onto Scarra’s Ryze, securing the ace.

Victory

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The Nexus exploded, and the victory screen lit up Alan’s monitor in a triumphant flash of color. For a moment, the internet café was silent, the weight of what had just happened settling over the room. Then, the eruption came.

Cheers and applause filled the space as spectators and staff alike celebrated the underdogs’ victory. Chairs scraped against the floor as a crowd formed around the team’s stations, congratulating them with handshakes, high-fives, and pats on the back.

“GG!” Hai shouted, throwing his hands in the air. He spun his chair around to face the others, his grin so wide it practically split his face. “We freaking did it!”

Alan leaned back, the adrenaline still coursing through him. He let out a deep breath, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “That’s how you do it,” he said, his voice steady but full of pride.

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Quest Completed: Claim the Crown.

Finals Record: 2-1 versus Rock Solid

Reward: 2000 Template points

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The team sprang to their feet, the excitement overflowing into hugs and handshakes. BladeSong turned to Nior, his earlier frustrations forgotten. “Nice healing, Soraka,” he said, sincerity in his tone. “You really came through. Made up for Game 2 in a big way.”

Nior, as always only present on Discord typed. “Thanks, I’ll keep improving.”

“Keep improving? You crushed it today. No one’s stopping us now.”, said Hai.

Balls leaned against his station, his grin uncharacteristically big. “That lane swap call was genius, Alan. And honestly? I didn’t think I’d survive that dive. Glad I trusted you.”

Alan chuckled, brushing off the praise. “It wasn’t just the call. You played out of your mind. That whole series? Every one of you was incredible.”

The tournament manager sent an invoice for 100 dollars and a digital certificate over Discord. “Congratulations, guys. That was something special.”

Alan pulled up the message on his monitor, glancing at his team. The golden certificate wasn't quite a trophy, but it was proof of what they could achieve together.

“We earned this,” Alan said, his voice steady. “Every one of us.”

The group gathered around for photos, as flashes from phones and cameras captured the moment. The pride and camaraderie were tangible, a feeling Alan knew would carry them forward.

As the café emptied and the team prepared to leave, Hai slung an arm around Alan’s shoulder. “So, what’s next, Titan?”

Titan smirked, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Next? We keep winning.”

BladeSong grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.”

Titan infused all 2000 points into his status and checked his progress.

Name: Alan Zhong

Age: 18

Role: Mid Lane

Overall Rating: 59 (+6)

Template: Caps

He was improving steadily, up 6 rating points from the template plus an additional rating point earned during the tournament matches.

He could barely believe it, but he was rewriting his career right before his eyes.

"I can really do it", he whispered to himself. Titan was one step closer to cementing his legacy as the GOAT.