Chapter 10:
Rayn didn't plan to climb.
But climb he did.
Over the next week, he found himself slipping into a rhythm.
One or two matches after college.
No distractions.
Phone at 70% brightness.
Notebook always nearby.
---
Elite matches started feeling slow.
He could predict the enemy jungler just by looking at the minimap.
He stopped dying to tower dives.
Stopped following teammates into bad fights.
He began leading without saying a word.
> "Ping rotation early."
"Hide in bush instead of recalling near tower."
"Bait cooldowns, then re-engage."
He wrote those things down after every match.
Not to review, but to remember who he was becoming.
---
In Master rank, people began copying his movements.
He roamed as Rivena? So did the tank.
He invaded? The marksman followed, even if late.
He lost a lane once—but used that game to test if he could carry from behind.
He could. Barely.
---
One night, in the middle of a win streak, he paused at the loading screen.
> Rank: Grandmaster V
Win rate: 63.2%
He blinked.
> "Am I really this close to Epic already?"
He hadn't rushed. He didn't even grind.
But his learning was compounding.
And it wasn't about kills anymore.
> "Climbing isn't about performing. It's about adapting faster than the match collapses."
---
Match #120 — the last Grandmaster game before Epic.
It was brutal.
His team flamed him at draft:
> "Why Rivena again? Pick meta bro."
"Not another solo carry hero…"
He said nothing.
Didn't even type.
Just focused.
---
Enemy snowballed early.
Mid lane lost.
Turret gone in 3 minutes.
But Rayn didn't force fights.
He pinged only once—defend turret.
Farmed quietly.
Defended high ground solo twice.
At 18 minutes, they caught the enemy marksman mispositioned.
Rayn chained skills with his mage and wiped three players.
Comeback.
Victory.
---
Promotion match won.
The badge sparkled differently this time.
> "Promoted to: Epic V"
He stared at it.
Not with pride.
But with a calm certainty:
> "Now the game really begins."(Also feeling happy inside)