Classmancers - A MOBA Esport Story

Vol.1 Ch.13: Unexplained Tactics

The third and final round of the entry exam was announced. If not for Taison and Gregory cheating their way through the first rounds, Yuel and Lars could had already passed the whole exam by now. Alas, they and Julia had to survive yet another round in order to be pass.

"Rejoice." Howard grinned. "In the last round, we're letting you play some Classmancers. 'About damn time', right? Haha."

"Heh, really about damn time." Lars nodded. "Bring it on, yo!"

"You're too loud." Yuel retorted. However, despite his calm facade, Yuel shared Lars's enthusiasm. Bring it on, yo! ...he wasn't the type to go so gang-ho, but right now he had the urge to blurt such silly words as well.

After all, this was going to be the first time they'd test themselves against other strong players. They were about to fight face-to-face with others who aimed for the competitive scene. It was time to see how strong they had grown throughout summer break. How much stronger would their opponents be compared Platinum division in Ranked? He couldn't wait!

"You'll be randomly divided into pairs." Howard explained. "In each pair, the two players will be playing against each other in the 5v5 draft mode, just like how it's done in Ranked and competitive matches. Aim for the win, but keep in mind that winning doesn't guarantee anything on its own. You'll be playing with members from our club on the same team and we're going to closely monitor your performance. We'll grade you for every little thing you do, so no pressure, haha. The top three players will pass the exam."

Due to the large amount of remaining candidates, the third round was scheduled to take place over a couple of days. Yuel was scheduled for the first day, whereas Lars and Julia were scheduled for the second day.

Before long, Yuel's turn came around.

"Welcome." The club's captain, Aron, greeted him.

"H-Hi." Yuel gulped. Sweat formed on his forehead. He was invited into a room with four upperclassmen, one of which was the very captain of the Classmancers club. All of them were going to monitor his performance, like predators eying a defenseless prey. Each move was going to be analyzed, every twitch was going to be judged. Gulp.

"Relax, we don't bite." A cheery guy threw Yuel a smile. "You're playing Support, right? I'm your lane partner, Trever." He jumped from the chair and shook Yuel's hand. " Nice to meetcha!"

"Likewise." Yuel's trembling stopped. Something about Trever's demeanor was oddly relaxing.

"If you're ready, let's begin." Aron said. "We'll be playing in the draft format, the way it's done in Ranked and official matches. Any experience with that?"

"I'm Platinum II." Yuel stated boldly.

"Wow! That's sick!" Trever jumped, nearly falling off his chair.

"That's indeed rare." Aron nodded. "Not many come to middle school with that level of experience. In fact, that's why the first two rounds exist. I remember you questioned the first round, right? Long story short, it helps us discover inexperienced players with potential."

"I see." Yuel nodded. It didn't even cross his mind that he and his friends were "irregulars", or that applying to the Classmancers club without experience was more common. Though, thinking back on it, that should had been obvious, considering how few kids took Classmancers seriously in grade school.

Yuel sat down where he was instructed, sandwiched between Aron and Trever. The rest of the team briefly greeted him as well, but it was clear Aron and Trever were going to be responsible for monitoring and grading him. Gulp. No, relax. Breathe.

"Alright, we're starting." Aron announced as he finished inviting everybody to a custom match. The enemy team had a similar lineup: one examinee and four club members. In order keep the exam as fair as possible, Yuel wasn't given any information about the enemy examinee. He only overheard that the guy's name was Mark, but that's all.