Chapter 28: The Strange Top Laner

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Chapter 28: The Strange Top Laner

“This…” Tong Xi stuck out her tongue, looking rather dazed as well.

A top-lane Blitzcrank.

In the past, this was something you only saw in low-ranked solo queue games, when someone had tilted out of their mind and decided to take revenge on society.

During the laning phase, Blitzcrank had trouble farming and possessed virtually no ability to pressure his opponent.

The moment the enemy hid behind the minion wave, Blitzcrank became useless.

What was more, his skill set gave him no advantage in trades.

At that moment, the barrage of comments was already overflowing with abuse.

Although Cheng Xian had put on an impressive performance in the previous few games and won himself plenty of fans, it was impossible to earn everyone’s affection.

“I’m not falling for it!”

“What the hell…”

“Hahahaha!”

“After sitting on the bench for so long, he really has no experience playing competitive matches anymore. All he can do is resort to cheap tricks.” 369 shook his head and sneered.

“I hereby announce that my brother Xianzi’s ID is officially changing to Shaqi! Because his ‘ma’ is gone! Who’s in favor? Who’s against?”

He was already pressuring the wave at level one.

“Just watch. A top-lane Blitzcrank is guaranteed to get smashed! If he doesn’t, I’ll personally send ten rockets in his stream. I keep my word—remember my ID!”

Five seconds later, Cho’Gath was reduced to a sliver of health and miserably burned Flash back to his turret.

Where there were fans, naturally there were haters as well.

Yet before he could take two more steps forward, Blitzcrank—having sidestepped the skill—swaggered back toward him.

Then, in the next instant, he raised his head.

His target was none other than the Blitzcrank standing in the middle of the minion wave!

When 369 saw Blitzcrank take three minion hits in a row, he grew anxious.

What the hell? You’re just a scrap-metal robot. What gives you the right to cross the wave and stand in front of me at level one?

Blitzcrank crossed the minion line and planted himself right before Cho’Gath.

He stood near his own minion wave, and the instant a minion became low, he smashed it with a fist.

“He can farm, but I can’t…”

Yet in the next instant, the seemingly clumsy yellow steel body moved with the nimbleness of a loach. Almost the moment 369 pressed Q, Blitzcrank began shifting aside.

Take just now, for instance. If Blitzcrank had taunted him with a laugh while crossing the wave at level one, he would have gone up and traded with him without a second thought.

“Are all the people flaming him gambling addicts? Can’t you watch the match unless you bet?”

“Investigate this thoroughly! It absolutely has to be investigated!”

369 was instantly furious. “This guy… what an absolute bastard!”

What was the top lane all about?

Mental strength!

Composure!

The happiness of steadily building an advantage!

What was he supposed to do?

All Blitzcrank had to do was flash an emote or throw out a taunt, and his opponent’s blood pressure would shoot through the roof.

“Damn it! I fell for it!”

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“If I show even half a moment of weakness today, I’ll take your name!”

With that thought, 369 controlled Cho’Gath and charged straight at the approaching robot. The two champions collided and grappled in a furious brawl!

Five seconds later…

But with the experience of a man who had played thousands of Iron games, 369 knew this strategy would definitely work in low rank.

“How dare this guy put on such an act?”

“You’re only relying on having Q at level one and a bit of extra range.”

“He’s winning purely through cheap, underhanded tricks.”

“I’m a veteran. Do you really think you can provoke me that easily?”

Pressuring the wave was one thing.

But Blitzcrank continued using Ctrl+3, throwing back his head and laughing.

Meanwhile, the robot, still carrying more than half his health, walked into the brush, shook off the minions’ aggro, then came back out and continued laughing with Ctrl+3.

The two minion waves had only just reached the lane.

Cheng Xian had no idea whether this trick would work in a high-level game.

Whoosh!

A flash of golden light appeared.

Ctrl+3. Blitzcrank raised a pair of enormous, rust-covered pincers, clutched his belly, and released a mechanical taunt.

369 finally understood.

What the hell? The robot could be played like this?

“What just happened? Did 369 get forced to burn Flash by a support?” Guan Zeyuan stared at the Flash Cho’Gath had already used, nearly falling out of his chair in shock.

Would he dare?

By then, both waves had reached the lane and collided.

Cho’Gath, left at low health, decisively burned Flash and retreated from the wave in disgrace.

All he could do was watch from a distance.

And the robot’s footwork was annoyingly slick, too!

At the same time, 369 controlled Cho’Gath and sent out his Q, Rupture.

Countless spikes erupted from the ground!

He dodged it!

“Heh. His movement isn’t bad.” 369 sneered, though he had never expected the attack to connect.

Five seconds earlier, Blitzcrank and Cho’Gath had both been laughing and dancing at each other, taunting one another.

This support didn’t really have much substance.

…

The three melee minions were all on the verge of death and were about to be missed.

With a twist of his backside, Blitzcrank narrowly brushed past the edge of Cho’Gath’s Q.

369 had played top lane for a long time and had seen all kinds of players.

His own teammate had been crushed in the previous game only because the support’s strategy was so uncommon in professional play that he had failed to react in time.

Hadn’t anyone seen how GimGoon had retreated into the isolated brush and stayed there for two whole minutes?

But soon, 369 realized that something was wrong.

“He’s backing off, he’s backing off… This robot… I swear to God…” 369’s eye twitched uncontrollably.

At that moment, the barrage and the commentary booth had both fallen silent. Everyone stared blankly at the big screen, unable to utter a word.

Blitzcrank had only been throwing out a random skill shot. His real purpose was to drive the robot away so that he could farm the wave himself.

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“I admit you’re strong, but picking a robot for top lane is taking me a little too lightly.” 369 sneered inwardly. “Just watch. This time, I’m going to give you a psychological scar you’ll never forget! This is the price of underestimating me.”

A wave of fury burned in 369’s chest.

This was his minion wave, at least. What gave the other guy the right to act so arrogantly?

Yet the enemy robot simply stood straight in front of Cho’Gath.

Hadn’t he fallen right into the trap?

But I’m sorry—did you think just anyone could play top lane?

And what good was that?

You’re standing inside my minion wave right now.

A smile froze on Blitzcrank’s face.

Once the snowball started rolling, there was no stopping it.

369 had never seen anyone mess with his mental state this badly.

After dodging the skill and returning, the robot continued pressuring his wave while laughing mockingly.

Just try hitting me. Go on.

“Hahahaha!”

His blood pressure was through the roof!

But life had to go on.

Compared to the heated barrage of insults, the match itself had already begun.

To put it more accurately:

Picking a support for top lane was one thing.

But whenever they began trading, Blitzcrank would retreat while hooking himself into his own minion wave, then beat Cho’Gath senseless. Cho’Gath could not even fight back.

“Hahahaha!”

“Through the roof!”

“Oh, that one was just referring to the fans.”

“Whew… I’m not angry. I’m not angry.” 369 took several deep breaths and steadied his mind.

“The fight hasn’t really started yet. Let’s see how this goes.”

Am I seriously being zoned off the wave by a robot at level one?

“Using a crucial match to take revenge on society—you’ve really outdone yourself, Xianbao!”

“If you don’t want to win, just say so. Why give people hope only to disappoint them? Damn it! I bet a thousand on IG winning this game because of you! Screw you!”

369 suppressed his anger and, gritting his teeth, tentatively took two steps forward.

You bastard!

Fine, let’s fight! I’ll smash you! I’m going all in!

Aside from messing with people’s mental state, what else can you do? Let’s see what other cheap tricks you’ve got!

You’re going to die and lose this one for me today!

The taunting had reached its peak.

“I really have learned something new…” Tong Xi wiped the sweat from her brow. “I don’t know why, but that exchange just now felt exactly like the sort of play you’d see from an Iron player. Still, it truly caught his opponent off guard.”

This player, Shaqima… was rather strange.

Thanks to the generous reader “Py Money-String” for the 100 book coins!

The next chapter will explain exactly what happened during that top-lane exchange~

End of Chapter