The soft chime from the game echoed in his ears as Red's hero pulsed gently.
[Welcome to battlefield.]
[Minions will spawn in 30 seconds.]
Valea's body swayed from side to side as it stood frozen still while Red bought his first item.
All players receive 800 gold in currency at the start of the game.
"Alright, let's see." Red gently moved his mouse and had her move at the base. He immediately opened the in-game shop and purchased his starting items— a Demon Shoes for movement speed and sustained mana regen and 2 wards for vision.
It was a classic item for a support that heavily relies on skill to impact the game. He still remembered how the builds worked, though he was a little outdated when it came to the new items.
Red clicked Valea to move to the bot lane. Her walking seemed slow, but he was just right behind their ADC.
The map was also already alive with the movement of his other teammates.
On the minimap, WhiteLotus was already deep in the jungle, prepping for the spawn of the Duskwolf, one of the larger monsters on the map. Jamino moved towards the top lane alone. While YameteKudasai pinged mid aggressively, already positioning near the river as if he was confident enough to win his lane.
Red continued to follow Lolo09 from behind. Their bottom lane, Siv, was a marksman with a fiery gun that targets enemies in a long distance.
[Minions have spawned.]
From the base gates, waves of tiny soldiers emerged. Sword-wielding melee minions and ranged spellcasters marched in a straight line down each lane.
Bot lane would be his home for now.
"Guess it's you and me, Siv," Red muttered.
As Valea reached the first bush near the river's bottom entrance, he placed a Ward—a tiny orb of light floating above the grass. It blinked softly, giving vision for 90 seconds.
Across the river, he could see a movement in the bush. It seemed like the enemy's support also placed their ward down there.
[Enemy spotted.]
The enemy support and marksman emerged—Yeans (Mira) and Rauein (Orin).
Mira was a heavy crowd-control support with icy chains, while Orin was a sleek, crossbow-wielding marksman who moved with grace.
Lolo09 (Siv) fired first, poking with basic attacks. Orin returned fire, trading blows, but Red didn't panic.
He positioned Valea carefully, staying behind Siv but within range to cast a spell when needed. When Siv's health dropped below half, Mira surged forward, aiming to stun her.
But it was too late.
Red cast
"Not bad," Red muttered.
Siv pressed the advantage, forcing the enemy duo to retreat under their turret.
[First wave cleared.]
When his hero leveled up, he immediately activated his first skill,
Gold trickled in as the minions died on their lane. Red knew this phase well: the dance of pokes, trades, and keeping your carry alive while keeping yourself from being first blood.
Then, a ping from the jungle sounded.
[WhiteLotus]: Moving to bot.
Perfect timing.
Red quickly moved Valea back slightly, hiding in the lower bush. He saved his skills. The enemy had overextended trying to trade back.
Mira was low in HP. Orin was at 60%.
WhiteLotus's shadowy figure blinked into view from the jungle,
Engage.
The clash happened in seconds.
Valea's Light Burst exploded with a flash of golden light, catching both Mira and Orin in its radius. A slow aura surrounded them, their movements visibly slowed down.
WhiteLotus emerged from the shadows like a ghost, it's blade gleaming with shadow energy as he struck first—his combo bursting Orin down to a sliver of health before she could react.
She tried to retaliate with a rain of arrows, but Red was ready.
Guardian Shield.
Valea raised her hands, summoning a dome of divine energy around Siv and WhiteLotus. The glowing barrier absorbed the arrows of Orin's desperate skill, keeping both of them in fighting condition.
Mira tried to heal Orin, but it was of no use against their enemy.
Siv fired again and again.
A clean shot pierced Mira's chest just as she tried to retreat into the bush.
[Lolo09 has slain an enemy.]
[First Blood!]
Orin panicked and tried to disengage, flickering backward with his in-game spell, but WhiteLotus wasn't finished. He also flickered forward, closing the distance in an instant—and unleashed a final slash.
[WhiteLotus has slay an enemy.]
[Double Kill!]
[Enemy bot lane has been wiped out.]
"Fuck, I love this." Red leaned back slightly, his heart racing with adrenaline. His timing had been nearly perfect. A successful 2v3 gank, and not a single one of them died.
Their minions pushed forward, unhindered. Siv pinged the turret, and all three began to chip away a health of it.
Red kept Valea in position, occasionally casting another
He glanced at the scoreboard in the corner of the screen.
0/0/2
Not bad for his first few minutes back. He hadn't landed a killing blow, but his impact was undeniable.
This was his job in this role—to enable, protect, and turn fights in their favor without ever needing the spotlight.
A ping echoed from mid lane.
[YameteKudasai]: Missing Mid!
Red's eyes flicked to the minimap. Sure enough, the enemy mid laner, Nexa, had vanished.
He quickly typed:
[Red]: Care bot, missing mid.
Siv responded by backing up immediately. WhiteLotus retreated back into the jungle to return to farming.
Red bought a new ward and placed it deeper in the river bush. Vision was their biggest advantage now.
Red pressed to recall. Valea began her graceful animation, floating upward as light wrapped around her like a veil, before she disappeared, reappearing back at base moments later.
He quickly bought an Enchanted Tome for cooldown reduction and mana regen and upgraded his boots for extra resilience.
Then he moved back out.
"I still got it, huh?" he muttered with a small smile.
The tempo of the match was good. They had an early pressure on the bot. If top could stabilize, mid could win his lane, and jungle could keep the pressure…
Then maybe this game would be a stomp.
===
A/N: Haven't read that many esports novels, so I don't know if I'm doing good. Anyway, I hope it's at least decent! If you have any suggestions, then do tell. Thank you!