Chapter 236: The First Deployment of “Lulu and the Auction Leftovers”!

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From the next day onward, our Lulu and the Auction Leftovers team began our scrims.

At first, our coordination was a bit shaky, and things didn’t go perfectly smoothly.

But everyone kept their spirits high, and by the third day, we were putting up decent results.

『Wow, this round was all Lulu, wasn’t it?』

『Seriously. She just solo-carried the laning phase.』

“Hehe, no way. We only won because everyone played well.”

• Honestly, this round was 100% Lulu-chan’s doing lol
• If Orianna isn’t banned, it’s an auto-loss~
• Damn, but Ori’s laning is brutal lol She’s basically a must-ban
• She’s usually trash in solo queue, but Lulu-chan makes her look OP lol

After another clean victory, the praise for me kept pouring in.

Honestly, I don’t think I played that well.

But winning the early laning phase so decisively did set up the rest of the map, especially for our jungler.

『Ugh, Lulu’s top roams were insane. Without her, I’d have been stuck under tower just farming CS…』

『That was huge. If we hadn’t shut down their top’s growth, things would’ve been way harder.』

『True. That play alone decided half the game.』

『Lulu’s shields and speed boosts were perfect! Made dishing out damage so satisfying!』

• Praise overload lol
• But fr, she played out of her mind lol
• Y’all got no mid like this, huh?!
• Meanwhile, Sanchaekkun is just a full-on Lulu-chan simp lolol

The endless compliments made me cover my face with both hands, flustered.

I’m still not used to this kind of overwhelming praise.

But I won’t lie—it feels nice. Hehe.

『Overall, not much to critique from this match. Sanchaekkun dying early set us back a bit, but that was just a misjudged skillshot and trade, so I don’t have much feedback there…』

『My bad…! I’ll smash my head in! Boss!』

『Uh, no need to go that far…』

After the mutual praise session, as usual, our coach, Glow, stepped in with feedback.

I always think this, but Glow is really good at coaching.

Probably because he’s a former pro with a World championship under his belt.

I worried his insights might be too high-level for us, but he explains things in a way that’s easy to grasp.

He avoids overly complex concepts and focuses on what we can realistically improve.

It really makes me think, Being a pro isn’t something just anyone can do.

『And jungler, like I mentioned yesterday, your pathing was solid. You’ve clearly put in solo queue practice.』

『Haha, yeah. I’ve been grinding it out.』

『Giving up the Rift Herald early to invade their jungle was a smart call. But Jeongjin, you know this—your bot-side pathing was inefficient. With a bot duo that can’t easily respond to ganks, you should’ve prioritized your own growth. Sacrificing for a return play isn’t always worth it.』

『Got it.』

• Dude nails every critique lol
• The textbook of feedback
• It’s hard to deliver criticism without sounding harsh, but he makes it easy wtf

He doesn’t just shower us with praise or nitpick—he balances both perfectly.

And like the cherries said, his calm tone makes everything sink in.

 

『Bot lane had it rough, huh? Their ADC’s tier was just higher.』

『I thought I was gonna die. How did Wanggae dodge every skillshot?!』

『Right? Our comp wasn’t even bad, but we got straight-up outplayed.』

• Fr lol
• Wanggae’s cracked ㅋㅋ
• Not for nothing is he rank 2
• If you’re getting 600 LP, you better play like that lol

Meanwhile, our bot lane, who’d struggled all game, let out exhausted sighs.

Their ADC, Wanggae, is one of the highest-tier players in this tournament.

Facing a Caitlyn in lane, played by someone like that, was just brutal.

『That’s how it goes against high-tier ADCs. Don’t feel too bad—holding your own in CS and tower gold against a Diamond Caitlyn is already good. We’ll prioritize lane-dominant picks for you next time.』

『We trust your drafts, Coach!』

『Glow, the Ban/Pick God!』

After bot feedback, only I was left.

I’d done well early, but there were still regrets.

Nervously, I waited for Glow’s words.

『For Lulu this time… honestly, there’s almost nothing to critique. Your laning was too good—most Diamond or even low Masters mids wouldn’t have survived it.』

“D-Diamond to Masters…?”

『Yep. Even in those tiers, plenty of players don’t understand laning basics or recall timings. You’re sharper than most.』

• KYAAAAAAAAAAAA
• The Eye of the Supreme General lol
• LoL God! LoL God!
• “No feedback needed” << That says it all lol

I was stunned by the sheer volume of praise.

My laning, Diamond to Masters level?

That feels like too much…

『If I had to nitpick, remember when they pushed lane with numbers and invaded jungle? You tried to help.』

“Y-Yes… I did.”

『You were strong enough to assist, but their support’s CC made it risky. In those cases, just call for opposite-side jungle control and focus on vision. Even if they take your jungle and dive top, as long as you’re pushing tower and scaling, it’s fine.』

“S-Sorry. I worried Jeongjin would fall too far behind…”

I had felt it was risky, so I couldn’t argue.

As I apologized, Nyangtamon Unnie chimed in.

『She’s just too nice. Mids and ADCs need to be a bit selfish.』

『Right. Lulu even gave up her Blue buff earlier.』

『Skilled and kind… All hail Lulu.』

• Sanchaekkun sneak-worshipping outta nowhere lolol
• Lulu-chan’s too selfless lol
• She could use a bit more “I carry” mentality ㄹㅇ
• Supreme General: “The most selfish mid is the best mid.”

They weren’t wrong.

Being selfless sounds good, but in team games, sacrificing yourself isn’t always the right play.

Like Empire once said, there’s a reason for that mindset.

『That’s why I want to try a Lulu-centric comp for the tournament. I watched your solo queue recently, and something caught my eye.』

“Wha—?! You watched my solo queue? I-I mean, wouldn’t Sanchaekkun or Kkomppang carrying be better…?”

『No. Top carry is weak this meta, and I want to see you play aggressively. Trust me, and let’s try it.』

『She’s right, Lulu! I’d just die even with resources!』

• The audacity lololol
• Kkomppang out here radiating sunshine lolol
• He’s not wrong tho lol

• Now I’m curious—what’s the plan?

As the discussion progressed, the topic somehow shifted to trying a different approach to bans and picks.

Honestly, as someone who lacked confidence in carrying, the suggestion felt a bit burdensome.

But it was true—expanding our team’s playbook would increase our chances of winning.

After Coach Glow’s persuasion, I agreed to the proposal.

Still, what does he want me to play?

I do experiment in solo queue, but…

I can’t shake this unease.

And he wants to try it in a tournament, not just scrims.

Of course, we’ll practice beforehand, but…

Ugh, the pressure is real.

***************

Finally, the day of the first match arrived.

A staggering 50,000 viewers tuned in, all eager for the opening game.

And since the first match featured Da-jeong’s team, Lulu and the Auction Leftovers, a swarm of Star Pieces  flooded the stream.

『Here we go! The first battle begins at last! Our first match is Lulu and the Auction Leftovers versus Farming Strike. What do you think will be the key points, commentator Kang Ji-wan?』

『Both teams have distinct identities. Farming Strike often relies on their Diamond jungler, Yusan-gyeon, as their carry.』

『Ah, true.』

As the caster noted, Farming Strike’s jungler favored scaling picks like Graves or Kindred.

Their strategy revolved around snowballing through farm and crushing opponents with raw damage.

Yusan-gyeon, the highest-bid player on their team, excelled at this.

『In contrast, Lulu and the Auction Leftovers invested heavily in their mid laner, Lulu, who performed well in scrims. But… I didn’t get the sense they’re relying on her to carry. She plays very selflessly.』

『Perhaps her famous kindness translates into her gameplay?』

『Maybe. But as Empire once said, “The most selfish mid is the strongest mid.” So this approach might not be ideal.』

『An interesting perspective. The clash of these polar opposite styles makes this match even more exciting.』

• Really curious what Lulu-chan will pick lol
• Yusan-gyeon’s cracked… dude hard-carried scrims with Kindred
• Lately, Lulu-chan’s been practicing carry roles though
• She rarely plays sidelane champs

Praise for Da-jeong poured in, but so did skepticism.

Everyone wondered whose hands would decide the game’s outcome.

As both teams finalized preparations, the broadcast shifted to the draft screen.

『Lulu and the Auction Leftovers bans Kindred and Graves—respect. They’re targeting Yusan-gyeon’s signature picks.』

『Smart. You can’t let him have a scaling jungler.』

• Good bans lol
• Draft’s looking solid
• Can’t give Yusan-gyeon a free-scaling champ lol
• But this leaves other lanes wide open

Da-jeong’s team focused on crippling the enemy jungler, while Farming Strike retaliated by banning Syndra (Lulu’s staple) and Singed (Sanchaekkun’s signature).

With first pick, Farming Strike secured Orianna—denying Lulu a comfort pick while shoring up their own late game.

In response, Lulu and the Auction Leftovers snatched Ashe (the enemy ADC’s main) and paired her with Renata support.

『Great drafts so far. Farming Strike stole Orianna, so Lulu and the Auction Leftovers retaliates by taking Ashe. The Renata pick likely anticipates a Kalista-Renata combo from the enemy.』

『Now Farming Strike locks in Viego and Kalista! Ashe struggles into Kalista, and Viego amplifies Yusan-gyeon’s carry potential.』

• Both drafts are fire
• Feels like watching pros lol
• Top lane needs a solid pick now

After more trades, Farming Strike (Blue side) finalized: Nautilus, Viego, Orianna, Kalista, Thresh.

Lulu and the Auction Leftovers (Red side) picked: Rumble, Lee Sin, Ashe, Renata.

• What’s left?
• Maybe LeBlanc?
• Lulu-chan’s LeBlanc is clean
• Double AP might be rough with Ashe’s low damage
• Double AP’s manageable

All eyes turned to Da-jeong’s final pick—mid lane.

Most expected a safe mage, but Lulu and the Auction Leftovers had other plans.

『Lulu, this is perfect. Just lock it.』

『Yeah, Lulu. If not now, when?』

『We’ve practiced this. Let’s go.』

『I’ll peel for you! Trust us!』

“Ugh… Okay. Let’s try it.”

Though the pick was high-risk, Da-jeong trusted her team and locked in.

Best-of-2 meant they had room to experiment.

『”FIGHT FOR THE FIRST LANDS!”』

The booming voice of the champion echoed as Da-jeong flexed her stiff fingers, nerves taut.

Irelia had entered the fray.