"ARGH!"
He screamed as he threw the controller in the television screen.
As he looked at the controller still stuck in the television, he realised immediately what he had just done. As he broke down mentally, the television which he spent 3 months saving up for, remained shattered, glass spilled everywhere. All because he looked away at a moment of utmost importance, and died, now, 3 months worth of savings, gone, because of a game.
"Why...." he whimpered, still trying to comprehend what had happened.
"What the hell do I even live for... Am I better worth dead..? "
As he looked to my bank account to cover the damages, it displayed a meager amount. Just enough to pay the remaining expenses of the month, but definitely not enough to cover anything.
"Well.. At the very least I'm not in debt. Infact, there's a new technology called Anima for advanced VR-Experiences. How much did it cost anyways?"
He got up, deciding it was better left to think of for tomorrow, as it was terribly late into the night.
He then crashed into his bed and fell asleep.
Waking up, he stared at the blank ceiling of his apartment, glanced at the still shattered glass on the floor, and observed the controller who remained stuck in what remained of his television. He then felt a surge of motivation to change his ways, atleast partly. One could call it desperation.
He then cleaned up the egregious state of his apartment and checked the time, a cheap 15 minutes until he needed to check in. He then clothed himself, and went to work, this time though, He decided to go on foot despite it taking longer. As he was on he way to work he noticed something on the front of a modest store.
"Is this for real? You can get a free Anima if you manage to beat a professional at a MOBA game? I could- "
Cutting himself off, he realised that it implied arriving considerably late to his workplace.
"No.. I couldn't. I decided to change myself, at the bare minimum I should arrive on time to work."
Then, he heard someone calling for somebody. He didn't turn around until he felt something, a hand, touching his shoulder. He then looked back and a middle-aged man was standing right behind him, grasping at his shoulder, he was looking like he sprinted the whole way from the store to him.
"You.. You... You look like you are decent at video-games, right? I know you were looking at that Anima, from that poster, It's inexpensive to enter and it'll only take 10 minutes since it's a 1 versus 1."
Tempted by the proposition, he considered participating in the challenge, however, he did not have time for it.
"I...I can't. I need to go to work. Sorry."
Declining the offer, he turned his back to the desperate man, and started walking forward.
"Th-Then what if you can face him for free a-and I'll even pay you! I-I mean.. No ones even trying to play against our pro player so please! Just to gather a bit of crowd!"
He thought. How much could he extort from him, or rather, wouldn't the money added to the Anima may be worth it?
"..How much?"
He asked, finally giving in to his greed.
"What?"
"How much are you going to pay me?"
"I'll give you the Anima's worth and the Anima, no twice that amount!"
"Hah! Very well. Show me that supposed 'pro player' ."
As he went into the building with him, he recognized the Pro Player sitting in a special lounge with every accomodation for gaming imaginable immediately.
It was a living legend, Jose "Joker" Fabinho, his nickname is recognized everywhere by any player who is slightly interested in MOBA games, a literal legend, of course he was surprised, but he remained determined to get that Anima!
Then, the shopowner spoke, breaking the tension instilled in the air following the entrance of the two.
"Oh! I forgot to ask your name young man, what would be your name?"
"Ah.. It's-"
Joker then cut him off, not desiring to waste time further.
"We don't care! You want that Anima or not ?!"
Joker shouted, intending to get this over with with quickness.
He sighed.
"Alright, but you dont have to shout, Joker."
The game was about to start, it was a simple 1 lane match-up, only him, Joker, and the pawns helping them achieve victory. He picked the champion Were-Half, which counters the most the favorite of "Joker", Julia.
Of course, it didn't mean that he shall achieve victory just because of that but it will still increase his odds of winning.
Thus the countdown to game start begun. A mere 3 seconds.
He then formulated his strategy against Joker into actual play.
Playing on the defensive, letting Joker push his pawns, meant looking for a way farm safely while also being on the constant threat of effectively denying Joker of meaningful farm. Thus waiting for the perfect kill opportunity.
"Did you really think I would've picked Julia?"
Declared Joker out of the blue. He slowly realised that in no way it was guaranteed for him to have pick Julia.
"Why? Didn't you pick her?"
He asked, somewhat surprised.
"You probably picked Were-Half? Didn't you?"
He contorted his face in a show of embarassment.
"Hah! Of course you did! But it's not because Julia is my favorite that I can't play other champions! "
He sighed.That means he probably chose a counter for Were-Half, there are 3 possible counters, Loki, being the hard counter, Kylo, being the Mid-Counter, and Galua being an okay-counter, the most likely one was thus Loki, considering it would deny him alot of chances to end the game.
He first set up some landmines bought through the shop in front of his tower with the intent of killing Joker's pawns instantly and leaving him in the open. this game called "Egis Tyrants" got popular only because of the fact that you can control the troops that spawn from the main tower and that's why they're called pawns.
And that's why this strategy would only work if Joker let his pawns attack mindlessly, of course he set his pawns in a defensive position behind the land mines to counter attack if possible.
He sighed as he saw what Joker had envisioned. Joker's pawns were not moving, infact, they were waiting for him to push instead. However..
"Alright. His defensive formation is simple, high health pawns upfront and ranged pawns in the back, one spell in the back and he's practically done for, right?"
Well, instead, he went aggressive, putting a forcefield in the back to protect his low health pawns and making his high health pawns push me, it was a 50/50 chance, of either me winning this fight, or him.
"You do play dirty, Joker."
"Ha! Any way of winning is still winning! "
"Well then, what do you respond to that?"
He then readied up his ranged pawns to attack any incoming enemies with spells, arrows, and other types of offenses. Fortunately, for him, Joker continued advancing with his melee pawns so he immediately decimated his attack with his ranged ability, 'Blood Control' ,and then went to launch an offensive of his own.
"Hmm... You seem like an experienced player, perhaps you were 'Legendary' before in this game?"
Not a bad guess, however, the man opposing Joker was beyond that.
"You guessed incorrectly, I was 'Godly'."
"Hm. Atleast there'll be a bit of a challenge."
As he continued his offensive, Joker appeared out of the side bush to ambush him, he did prepare for it, but still, it remained a nuisance.
"Ambush? You really are called the 'Joker' for a reason aren't you?"
"Indeed, but preparing for something like that is surprising, Hisgard."