Chapter 26: Let's Spice Things Up!

Chapter 26: Time to Shake Things Up!

[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining the A-rank status—"Softness Overcomes Hardness!"]

What... what on earth is this? What kind of status is "Softness Overcomes Hardness"? He hurriedly checked the details. With a flick of his thoughts, the system interface popped up, and the description slowly unfurled before his eyes.

[Softness Overcomes Hardness (A-rank)]
[Description: Select an official default support hero and play in the top lane. During the match, your mechanics, reaction time, and game sense will all be increased by 5,000%!]

Upon seeing this description, Cheng Xian’s mental state collapsed instantly—he was stunned. What the hell! Sending a puny support to go head-to-head and trade blows with the hulking brutes in the top lane—is that not exactly what "softness overcoming hardness" means? Even though I’m nothing more than an Iron-tier scrub, I still have that much basic common sense!

Taking a support to the top lane? What’s the point of a 5,000% boost to mechanics? Supports have zero damage; even if I play perfectly, won’t I just end up getting crushed? I, Brother Xian! Even if I lose the game, even if I get roasted by thousands of netizens, I will absolutely not take a support hero into a carry role!

[Does the host confirm that you do not need this status? If you cancel this status, this match will proceed at your normal skill level!]

"Fine, I want to play Blitzcrank."

A moment later.

"Are there really no other options?"

It felt like going to visit your future in-laws, only to look the father-in-law in the eye and say, "Big guy, I’d like to take your daughter out to stay the night, heh heh."

"Blitzcrank..."

"Top lane?"

"Yes."

Nofe’s eyes went wide as he stared intently at Cheng Xian. "Good!"

"Pfft!!" Nofe nearly spat a mouthful of blood onto Rookie’s keyboard.

The yellow, rusted armor, the clumsy frame, and that dull, rusty head. Before the word "insane" could even form in his mind, Nofe suddenly snapped back to reality. Seeing Cheng Xian about to lock in the hero, he frantically pulled back. A support in the top lane—the strategy sounded incredibly... bold.

"I... of course I’ll use it!" Cheng Xian nodded vigorously.

"Good!!" Nofe nodded firmly.

"Oh, right, I'm here!"

"Humph, you kid have guts."

It was like sleeping on a mattress next to a toilet; he was damn close to shit! Nofe, oblivious to the impending disaster, waved his hand and patted Cheng Xian on the shoulder, smiling cheerfully.

"What hero do you plan to use? The opponents banned your Darius, and they’ve locked down Thresh and Lux; it looks like they’re targeting you specifically. If you don’t have a hero you’re particularly confident in, I recommend playing something like Nautilus or Leona for the laning phase. They have more room to make an impact in the late game." Nofe, still unaware of the gravity of the situation, even kindly offered suggestions.

"Coach, actually, I... I have a request..." When it was Cheng Xian’s turn to pick, he started acting coy.

"It’s fine, just say it! Whatever hero you want to play, even if it’s an unpopular one, I’ll satisfy you! I promised you freedom in the pick-and-ban phase, so I’ll give you that freedom!"

"How about Janna, then?"

Janna in the top lane... she couldn't carry, she couldn't take a hit, and she’d be eating up top-lane resources while only providing the utility of a support. Forget it.

"Actually, coach, I think I'll go with Blitzcrank."

Blitzcrank at least could build tanky to soak up damage, and his silence ultimate in team fights was nothing if not annoying.

"Hmm..."

Nofe scrolled through Cheng Xian’s public match history, wanting to see what heroes he usually excelled at. He noticed that the kid played a wide variety of heroes, but judging by his record... he was performing just about on par with Bronze and Silver players. Still, Nofe firmly believed that the kid must be hiding something! After all, hadn’t he seen it during the life-or-death match last week? He used Lux and then Thresh, leaving the opponents dizzy and confused. And hadn’t he seen his god-like Darius in the previous game, hacking through the opposition like a whirlwind?

"Just use Blitzcrank, let’s go with Blitzcrank!"

"There is," Cheng Xian said. Nofe’s eyes lit up, but he deflected tactfully, "Actually, it’s not that I don’t want you to take Blitzcrank top, it’s just that... its effectiveness in the top lane is quite limited."

Two men stared deeply into each other’s eyes; the atmosphere for a brief moment was somewhat subtle.

He’d just pick a support and hang on in the lane; at least with the mechanics boost, he wouldn't die too easily. Maybe he’d even win?

In the midst of the commentators' astonished exclamations and a stream of question marks flooding the live chat, IG’s first pick locked in an unpopular hero that hadn't seen the light of day in a long time.

Blitzcrank!

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Asking quietly, do I have any recommendation tickets to eat today...?
If not, I'll come back and ask again tomorrow...