Chapter Eighteen: Never Before Has There Been Such a Wonderful Beginning

One minute earlier.

The stubborn little love-loli, having just finished off the three wolves and reached level three, was about to follow the usual path to farm the red buff.

Suddenly, Lin Ruo’s scolding rang abruptly in his ear.

“What the hell are you coming down for? Don’t come down.”

The love-loli’s fiery temper flared instantly. “What do you mean? Is me taking the red buff really that much of a problem for you?”

Lin Ruo stood near the opposing tower. After clearing a wave, he moved slightly into the brush. “You’re taking the red buff, alright, but our bot lane is pushed. Are you going to counter-ambush or dive the tower?”

The love-loli hesitated, his mind running dry.

The bot lane situation was not as he had anticipated.

Originally, IG’s side should have been pushing the lane. After finishing the red buff, he could have gone bot to catch someone. Even if he couldn’t secure a kill, forcing out some cooldowns would be beneficial.

But now, it seemed difficult to catch anyone.

Waiting in ambush would likely waste time; the opponent’s jungler would probably invade their jungle.

Diving the tower? That was impossible—pure suicide.

“What else can you do besides wandering around the river and placing a ward in the enemy jungle? You might as well farm the Gromp or watch mid lane carefully under the enemy jungler’s nose for the F6 red buff. You won’t accomplish anything meaningful.”

Lin Ruo’s words were precise and authoritative. “Listen to me, go top and pressure the big tree. With a hook hero like Thresh, do you still fear not getting a kill?”

“Then isn’t my red buff wasted?” the love-loli complained but silently adjusted his steps to head top.

It wasn’t that he lacked opinions, but…

Though blunt, Lin Ruo’s reasoning had some weight to it.

“Come on, the big tree is pushing the lane. With my passive and Q, it’ll be so easy,” A Guang eagerly agreed upon hearing this.

Actually, he had thought the same.

Thresh’s crowd control skills were abundant, and calling the jungler to gank top would be a sure thing.

However, he was accustomed to absorbing pressure and serving the bot lane was his primary task.

The mantis should rightfully support bot.

But hearing that bot was pushing back, going top would probably be more effective.

At last, the long-awaited love-loli entered the river, leapt over the dragon pit to avoid vision, and silently crouched in the top brush to scout.

Duke, the champion Maokai, seemingly unprepared for being watched, was using abilities to clear minions, intending to push the wave before recalling.

In moments, the minion wave had pushed under the enemy tower. Cautious Duke did not enter the brush directly to recall but moved toward his own outer tower to ensure safety.

However, after only a few steps, he found himself immobilized.

Looking up, he realized it was Thresh who had taken the minion wave pressure, used Flash, then auto-attacked combined with the passive “Stormbringer” to hard crowd-control him.

The minion wave or not, they were coming for him.

Sharp Duke belatedly realized he might have to rush back to base at lightning speed.

Sure enough, the mantis’s fragile figure emerged from the shadows of the river the next second.

Duke could only exclaim his doom.

Thresh’s Q was still on cooldown; even though he had used Flash, this was a dead end.

The only chance to survive was to activate W and execute Plan B—the Asian bind—with borrowed mantis displacement, then Flash to create distance and escape.

But ideals are beautiful; reality is harsh.

The moment the mantis entered skill range, Thresh predictively hooked him, leaving no chance to use W.

Duke’s vision darkened; he gave up struggling and saved his Flash.

First Blood.

EDG’s Mouse killed IG’s Duke.

A Guang’s face was wrinkled into a broad smile after securing the kill.

As a top laner used to absorbing pressure, he was almost always caught once in the early game.

Heaven’s cycle spared no one, but finally...

Back at base, A Guang bought the essential early items: a Doran’s Ring for mana regeneration, cheap boots worth 300 gold, and a 400-gold ruby crystal.

Is this what it feels like to be rich?

A Guang was on cloud nine, unable to resist singing joyfully: “Never had such a wonderful start, cheer for me, give me your applause!”

“Oh my God, I must cherish this moment, treasure it well.”

Having taken a river crab and returned to base, the love-loli’s brow was furrowed deeply.

No, why did a harmless Thresh get the kill?

“Why didn’t you give me the kill?” the love-loli asked coldly.

A Guang waved his hand with a smile: “Don’t worry, next time in the official match, come gank top again, and I’ll make sure you get every last bit of the kill. Just this scrim, let your brother have it.”

“That’s more like it,” the love-loli calmed down, but then paused.

“Hook, you’re taking and taking kills and still want me to come next time? I’m not a support player.”

...

Near Blue Side’s first tower, tearfully finishing the F6 red buff, Kid had already rushed to the red buff area. After lingering a moment, he decided to give up the easy prey and head bot lane instead.

He was heartbroken at the loss on top and was determined to catch someone bot at all costs.

A normal Zyra would have placed plants to scout the bot triangle brush, so Kid cleverly took a longer route from the Krug camp direction.

“Bot lane looks good, I’m coming,” Kid said as he switched his view to bot lane, but the exposed vision no longer showed EDG’s duo.

“Huh? Where the heck are they?”

Bao Lan placed a skill into the brush with no response and then guessed, “I thought they went to ward river, but it looks like the mantis went top, so to avoid getting caught, they’ve probably recalled near the brush.”

Kid was struck dumb as if by lightning.

His perfect plan was brutally shattered.

“Damn, how can they be so stable!” Kid cursed, hastily retreating. As long as he could take the leftover red buff, it wouldn’t be a total loss.

At least he could get ahead in farm and then invade the jungle more freely, restricting the mantis.

Arriving at the red buff, Kid hastily started the camp, pulling it into the brush.

The mantis was on the way; every second counted.

“Damn, this red buff is taking forever,” Kid muttered anxiously, wiping his face. He truly felt what it meant to be a thief. If the mantis pounced next moment, this would be a nightmare.

Fortunately, the mantis did not.

But a dazzling skill tore through the jungle, hitting Kid squarely.

Kid froze as Jhin’s deadly “Deadly Flourish” struck.

Gracefully twisting, Zyra approached but hadn’t yet cast a skill.

“Damn, it’s a full team.”

The red buff was only at half health, far from worth burning Smite.

And guess from which direction they came?

Kid never imagined EDG’s bot duo had come from the triangle brush position.

Damn, they never recalled at all—clear ambush.

Kid’s escape instincts kicked in. He buried himself underground, phasing through the wall to the F6 area. Luckily, Rookie was pushing the lane, providing support for a safe retreat through the river entrance.