Chapter 24: Assessment
Although this was precisely his goal, he hadn’t expected everything to come so quickly or be obtained so easily.
Duan Mingyue seemed to have anticipated his reaction and continued, “…I’m just asking for your thoughts first; this isn’t a formal invitation.” A crisp metallic clink sounded from his end—Shen Yanjin recognized it as the sound of a lighter.
Does Duan Mingyue smoke?
Shen Yanjin was momentarily distracted. When he snapped back to attention, he felt the nervousness in his heart subside significantly.
Having been a seasoned veteran in the professional scene, he steadied his mind and stabilized his voice. “Does Moon God mean… an assessment?”
Duan Mingyue gave a vague laugh. “En, that’s what I mean. I think it’s faster to just lay these things out in the open. The Spring Season is over a month away. During this time, you’ll duo-queue with me. If we both feel it’s a good fit, you come to the Youth Training Camp.”
Shen Yanjin opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Duan Mingyue said, “Say whatever you want to say.”
Shen Yanjin originally wanted to probe and ask if something had happened to KW’s original support. Judging by the situation, they really seemed to be in urgent need of a support player.
After all, logically speaking, a championship powerhouse like KW had both a second team and a Youth Training Camp; they shouldn’t be unable to find a single support.
But on second thought, that was an internal team secret. As an outsider, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to ask.
So he shook his head and instead asked hesitantly, “Moon God… is this the reason you added me as a friend?”
Duan Mingyue, holding a cigarette between his lips, paused.
It actually wasn’t.
He just felt that this person’s mechanics gave him a sense of déjà vu.
However, after thinking about it, he felt telling the truth wasn’t quite appropriate either, so he gave a vague answer. “Hmm… pretty much.”
As the saying goes, coming early isn’t as good as coming at the right time.
This was exactly how Shen Yanjin felt right now.
He had waited five years without seeing any issues arise with Lu Yuan. Yet now that he had retired and felt there was no hope left, he had been scouted by KW through a series of coincidences.
His mind was a bit chaotic. He unconsciously wandered around the map in the game for a while before realizing his silence had stretched too long. He hurriedly spoke, “Sorry, Moon God, I zoned out a bit just now.”
Duan Mingyue allowed him to wander aimlessly in the jungle while he went top lane to grab a kill. “It’s fine. Think it over carefully. I’ll wait for your reply.”
“No need!” Shen Yanjin suddenly raised his voice, speaking urgently. “No need to consider, I’m willing! I-I will work hard!”
Duan Mingyue exhaled a smoke ring, amused. “You don’t need time to think about it?”
Shen Yanjin wiped his face. “Really, no need. I’ve already thought it through.”
He had waited so long already. What if Duan Mingyue suddenly changed his mind? Wouldn’t everything be ruined?
Duan Mingyue looked at the trophies and photos filling the wall of the training room and smiled.
Stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray beside him, he said, “Okay.”
“Is this ‘Moon Steed’ some streamer?”
Wanzi took the kill that the Mid-Jungle duo yielded to her, ate the minion wave and the turret plating, and grew significantly fatter in gold.
She recalled to buy items and casually clicked on Moon Steed’s profile.
It was completely blank, save for a few commonly played characters.
“Tata, Fish Woman, Gold Peddler, Silent Hunter…” She looked at the list, her head full of question marks. “No, wait, is this some ‘One-Trick’ player who specializes in sewer-tier heroes? What are these characters? Fish Woman can jungle? …Oh, he played bot lane… Fish Woman AD! That’s even weirder!”
Wanzi looked at her stream camera. “What is going on with this person? Is UOOW’s Jungle King brother this unorthodox?”
[Lmao, Gold Peddler jungle really dragged me straight back to Bronze tier.]
[Don’t blindly hate, even Bronze tier doesn’t play Gold Peddler, okay?]
[Can someone explain to me, does Fish Woman AD actually work?]
[Theoretically, yes.]
[Practically, no.]
[So UOOW picking a Mermaid support this game… was she infected by him?]
[Infected, haha, that works. The illness is severe.]
Her character finished walking back to the mid lane. Wanzi closed the profile, sighing with emotion. “The world of big shots is not something we mortals can comprehend—Holy sh*t, I’m dead!”
It happened in a flash. Just as Wanzi passed the bush in her own jungle, the sound of a Soul-Eating Bell suddenly rang in her headphones.
One second she was distracted chatting; the next, she was rooted right under the tier-two tower by the enemy Bell Spirit’s chime.
“Over, it’s over.” Wanzi smashed the Flash key in vain. “I have a bounty on me, I can’t die here.”
[You can take your hands off the keyboard now.]
[What’s happening? Is this Kai’s stream? A replay?]
[Don’t mention it, Kai hates Bell Spirit to death right now.]
[Gone, she’s gone.]
Wanzi also felt she was approximately dead and was already preparing to apologize in the chat box.
After all, such a low-level mistake really shouldn’t happen to a high-ELO player.
However, following the bell chime in her headphones, it wasn’t Tata’s hook chain sound that appeared, but a Flash.
Not Wanzi’s Flash, but UOOW’s Mermaid Flash!
The crimson-haired mermaid leaped out from the bush on the other side. With a wave of her slender hand, a Water Wall instantly rose between Tata and Wanzi. Tata’s hook chain lashed out a split second too late, hooking only a pile of air.
The two-second Soul-Eating effect quickly passed. Wanzi, having survived the disaster, intended to retreat immediately, but discovered an attack signal pinged by UOOW on the ground.
She hesitated for a second, then followed.
“Taro, they’re chasing.”
Having failed the gank, the Bell Spirit wanted to leave, but seeing the Mermaid leading someone to charge up like they didn’t care for their lives, it looked a bit like a counter-attack.
If Purple Taro went in now, he could one hundred percent take down the Mermaid who had no Flash and no Water Wall.
However, he had just been outplayed and had no confidence in his heart. He was completely suppressed by the opponent’s momentum.
“Go, go, go.” Purple Taro was annoyed. “Did you not think about why a lone Mermaid dares to chase like this? The Ascetic Monk must be nearby!”
The Bell Spirit thought about it and felt that made sense. He didn’t have his ultimate right now and couldn’t fight a two-versus-three. “Let’s go then.”
The two of them chickened out and buried their heads in fleeing.
Unexpectedly, just as they exited the jungle, they ran headfirst into Moon Steed’s Ascetic Monk.
Shen Yanjin flashed over the wall, glanced at Duan Mingyue’s position, and made a prompt decision. “I’ll act, we pincer them.”
Duan Mingyue understood his meaning, abandoned the map resource he was halfway through taking, and walked toward the jungle.
Tata clearly never expected the Ascetic Monk to pop out from this position. Before he could even throw his chain, he was given a sound beating. Shen Yanjin followed closely behind, applying a slow to prevent him from using displacement skills to escape.
The Bell Spirit gave him a shield while frantically pinging signals, calling for their Mid and Top lanes to come support.
It had to be said, as expected of a high-ELO player, the mechanics were still there.
Knowing there was a high probability he couldn’t escape, Tata turned and threw his chain, planning to fight to the death.
The Mermaid was simply too squishy and had no skills left. If she got hooked, she would be lying flat on the ground.
Duan Mingyue sensed his intent and opened his mouth to warn UOOW to be careful.
But he saw the little Mermaid standing in place, not moving a muscle, unhurriedly throwing out a Water Ball.
Mermaid’s ultimate, a projectile skill, her only knock-up control.
The Water Ball flew slower than a turtle.
But Tata, who had latched his chain and was flying over, had no way to dodge.
Duan Mingyue swallowed his warning and smiled. “Beautiful.”
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