Chapter 229: My First Solo Tournament!

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Translator Note

Bleghhhhh it’s time for League…. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… I hate league… I am going to say this upfront, I know basically nothing about League so there is a decent chance that there will be mistakes in here. I am going to try my best of course, but please let me know if there is something that needs correction such as ability names, Champion(I think that’s what they are called??) names or the like. This arc will be roughly around 20 chapters long… so for those who were hoping for it to be around the length of the Project Zomboid  arc its more like the Overwatch arc.

Today, while pondering what content to do, a game suddenly came to mind.

That game was League of Legends.

In a way, it’s an inseparable part of streaming content—currently one of the most popular games out there.

Honestly, there’s a reason I rarely play this type of game on stream.

It demands high concentration, making it hard to chat with the cherries.

More than anything, it’s a game where blame and toxicity are unavoidable, often leading to frustrating moments.

Overwatch is somewhat similar, but in my case, I mostly avoid competitive play there.

I stick to casual games with members or occasional viewer participation, so it’s not a big issue.

But why the sudden decision to start LoL?

It’s all because of an announcement posted on Twitcher a while ago.

[Twitch’s ‘Legends of the League’ Tournament]

That’s right.

After a long time, Twitcher is hosting an official tournament—this time for LoL.

However, unlike the last Overwatch tournament, I won’t be participating with the other members.

This time, it’s just Lulu—me—going solo.

The reason? Something CEO Kang mentioned in a recent meeting:

“From now on, we’ll be expanding our external activities more freely. So, don’t bother reporting external collabs—just join as you please. Got it?”

It seems CEO Kang believes we’ve firmly established ourselves now.

While chemistry among members is great, she likely wants us to branch out more.

Previously, external collabs required permission, but that rule was scrapped for this very reason.

After hearing that, the tournament announcement caught my eye.

These events are prime opportunities for exposure, and teaming up with strangers often leads to unexpected chemistry and teamwork.

“Alright, time to grow further!”

That’s how I decided to join.

Until now, Blue LUV was the means to promote us.

Now, it’s time for us to promote Blue LUV.

[Participating in the LoL Tournament! Need a Mentor!]

With that, I set today’s stream title and went live early.

I’m not entirely new to LoL, but my play count is so low I haven’t even touched ranked yet.

I need to level up—literally and skill-wise.

Sure, I played it a bit in that world, so I’m not starting from zero.

But tournaments are different. I really want to find a good mentor and improve.

“Hi-Lu, everyone! Good evening!”

• Hi-Lu!
• Lu-ha
• Hi-Lu
• Lulu, you’re really joining the LoL tourney?
• Why pick a toxic game…

While some cherries greeted me back, others zeroed in on the title.

A few seemed worried, probably due to LoL’s reputation.

“Hehe, let’s talk about the title first. There’s a Twitch LoL tournament coming up, and I’m joining!”

• Woah
• Lulu, you barely play LoL, lol
• Out of nowhere?
• But you’re not even ranked yet. Can you even join?

Yep, exactly.

This tournament restricts tiers from Silver to Diamond 3.

Since I haven’t even done placements, I don’t qualify yet.

So, this week’s goal is to hit Level 30 and reach at least Silver.

“Right! So I’ll be playing a bunch and learning from a mentor to climb. Sorry to cherries who expected other content this week!”

• Np np
• Actually, this is great
• Been curious about Lulu playing LoL—this is a win
• Do whatever you want, Lulu~
• We’re here for you, not the game

I apologized in advance, but most reactions were positive.

Some even melted my heart a little.

Hehe, this is why I love our cherries.

They might seem like gremlins, but they’re sweet deep down!

…Even if it’s a 9:1 ratio of chaos to sweetness. Probably just my imagination, right?

“So, by the way—any mid-lane mentors here today? Bonus if you’re on Discord too.”

I’d posted on the café, but asking live is fastest.

The moment I threw the question, a donation popped up.

[‘Empire’ has donated 10,000 won!]

• If it’s okay, I could teach you a bit?

“…Huh?”

• ?
• Wait, what?
• No way, THE Empire?
• ????????????

In that instant, question marks floated above everyone’s heads.

The nickname “Empire” said it all—it’s the IGN of the recent LoL World Champion and the world’s top mid-laner.

Wait.

No way it’s the Empire, right?

…Right?

“U-um… Mr. Empire, are you… the real one?”

• He’s legit
• Checked the nickname—it’s him
• Bro, why are you here…?

Before I could process it, the cherries confirmed it.

His profile read: “Currently mid-laner for Ruin Gaming—Empire.”

Why is Empire here?!

Chirring—

[‘GloryToTheEmpire’ has sent a friend request.]

“Gasp! Guys! Empire just friended me…!”

• LMAOOOOOOOOOO
• Bro got the friend request WHEEZEEEE
• I wanna get friended by Empire too…
• Lulu’s cracked lmaooooo

A heavy ping echoed from the LoL client. My trembling hands hovered over the mouse as I accepted the friend request from Empire—the nickname synonymous with dominance. I then nervously dialed the Discord ID he’d whispered.

“H-Hello…?”

『”Hey, Lulu. Heard you needed a mid-lane mentor, so I thought I’d drop by.”』

“Th-Thank you! But… aren’t you busy?”

『”Nah, post-Worlds vacation. I’ve got time to coach you till the tourney.”』

• Bro’s ‘working’ on vacation lol
• Coaching Lulu isn’t work—it’s THERAPY
• Even the world champ can’t resist the cherries
• EMPIRE WAS A CHERRY ALL ALONG?!

I gaped at Empire’s profile—his rank border practically glowed, and “Rank 1 Last Season” glared back at me.

“Um… could you introduce yourself for the viewers? Just in case someone doesn’t know—”

『”Ah, right. I’m Choi Jeong-hoo, Empire, mid-laner for Ruin Gaming. Been a cherry for a while, so when I saw Lulu needed help, I figured why not?”』

• KYAAAAAAAAAAAA
• I’M DEAD LOL
• WORLD CHAMP MENTOR???
• Lulu’s getting taught by the final boss lol

This was like stumbling upon a celestial master in a wuxia novel.

『”So, unranked right?”』

“Yep! Gotta hit Level 30 and claw into Silver this week.”

『”With your Overwatch mechanics, you’ll hit Gold easy. Saw your streams—you’ve got instincts.”』

“N-No way—”

• Lulu is getting praised by the GOAT lol
• Called it, drink up chat lol
• RIP Lulu though—this game’s toxic af

Flustered, I queued up for normals while Empire spectated.

『”Main champs?”』

“Ah, Syndra or Orianna.”

『”A pure mage player? Rare for low elo.”』

• Mage cult leader!!
• Empire’s a mage god too
• Lulu’s mage gameplay was lowkey clean tho

I’ve always preferred methodical lane control over flashy assassins—plus, my hands can’t keep up with mechanical champs.

『”Just play relaxed. Ignore me.”』

“Y-Yes, Sensei…!”

『”Never thought I’d coach Lulu. Life’s wild.”』

BRUH YOU’RE A 3-TIME WORLD CHAMP

• Winning Worlds < coaching Lulu
• Trophy shelf full, now chasing cherry clout
• As the first game loaded, sweat pooled on my keyboard.

Please don’t disappoint him…! Don’t abandon me, Sensei…!

LegoMyEggo