Classmancers - A MOBA Esport Story - Part 3

Vol.15 Ch.22: Outguessing the Incoming Gank

Vincent followed the orders he received and built up Rage while clearing the minions. The objective was to go berserk in the next wave, so that's exactly what he planned to accomplish. Good soldiers followed orders.

However, to not arise any suspicion, Vincent made sure to charge up his Barbarian Slam to the max this time as well.

BAM! He unleashed yet another meteor-level slam on the battlefield! The attack ravaged both the swordsmen and the minions at once!

But, with great power came great responsibility. Unleashing a fully charged-up Barbarian Slam cost Vincent 30% Rage, which reduced his Rage meter to 0%.

In order to enter Berserk mode, Vincent had to climb all the way up to 80%. It sounded like a lot, but it was a no-brainer considering how quick his basic attacks were.

HACK. HACKHACK. HACKHACKHACK! He sliced and diced the minions with his dual axes!

Every strike increased his rage by almost 4%, so he recovered 77% Rage by the time he was done with the minion wave. He was now one attack away from entering Berserk mode. Mission accomplished.

No, not quite yet. Vincent reminded himself. As much as I'd like to keep all this Rage intact, I must fool my opponent into thinking I'm a very calm individual who yearns for peace on the lane.

Judging by the kind of player Theorist was, she surely has been monitoring Vincent's movements and keeping track of his Rage in her head. Therefore, she was most certainly aware that Vincent has accumulated plenty of Rage after clearing the recent wave.

Most likely, she couldn't tell that Vincent's Rage was as high as 77%. Nonetheless, Theorist will certainly be on alert if Vincent doesn't show any signs of relieving any of his Rage at all.

Thus, Vincent activated Relaxing Exhale. His Berserker took a deep breath and then exhaled rather loudly, as if trying to prove to everybody around that he did not have any anger issues in the slightest.

Normally, it was disadvantageous for a skill to have such an obvious sound cue. Giving the enemy free information on a silver platter was a surefire way to lose the cold war.

However, in this particular case, the theatrics of Relaxing Exhale came in handy. Vincent very much wanted to make a show of the fact he took such a deep breath and exhaled "plenty of Rage".

Surely, after seeing this dramatic display, Theorist was convinced that Vincent had no plans of assaulting her anytime soon. However, there was a catch hidden in the depths of this simple play!

Though you saw me exhale, you cannot tell for sure how much Rage I lost, can you? Vincent smiled meaningfully. It could be 50% or it could be as little as 10%. Your only indication is my health bar, which was already full to the brim in the first place.

Relaxing Exhale made the Berserker recover HP in proportion to the consumed Rage. This was about the only visual indicator for telling how much Rage was actually consumed, as otherwise, the animation of the skill looked practically identical no matter what.

Alas, Vincent was already in full health, therefore the recovery did nothing to him. This robbed Theorist of crucial evidence, which meant Vincent was a step ahead of his foe in this intellectual battle of information!

So, how much Rage did Vincent actually exhale? Quite the mystery it was, but one that basic math could easily solve.

He was at 77% Rage before exhaling and he had to reach 80% to go berserk, which he would have to do immediately upon Luke's arrival. Since a single basic attack earned him close to 4% Rage, it meant he had to remain above 76% in order to enter Bersker at the first opportunity that presents itself.