Chapter 16:
It only took three more games.
Rayn didn't aim for speed — just precision.
He played mid once. Roamed once. Carried quietly once.
Now, the screen showed it clearly:
EpicV.
No music. No fireworks.
Just… another match button.
> "The higher I climb, the messier it gets," he'd once read.
He didn't expect it to feel so real.
Epic Rank.
The badge shimmered for a second before the screen moved on.
Rayn blinked.
No music. No fireworks.
Just... another match button.
> "The higher I climb, the messier it gets," he'd once read.
He didn't expect it to feel so real.
---
First match in Epic.
Role pick countdown began.
He hovered mid.
But someone else instantly locked it with "MID OR FEED" in chat.
The marksman called gold lane.
The jungler spammed pings before draft even started.
Rayn had one role left: Roam.
He sighed.
> "You're not the star. You're the bridge."
He locked in Xeno without hesitation.
---
In-game, chaos began immediately.
Gold lane dived 1v2. Died.
Jungle invaded without vision.
Mid spammed "no gank?" after losing a trade.
Rayn didn't respond.
Instead, he placed vision near jungle entrances.
Held the mid wave while the mid laner recalled.
Body-blocked an enemy gank near turtle — saving their marksman.
Not once did he ping.
But slowly, his team stopped diving.
Followed him into vision-covered fights.
Used his pathing as their guide.
---
At 9 minutes, they turned a teamfight 4v5.
Rayn didn't get kills. Didn't get praise.
But a line appeared in post-game chat:
> "Roam diff."
He blinked.