Birds of a Feather

But in truth, the two of them were remarkably similar in both their actions and their thoughts. Of course, to someone like Smith, who believed that "trusting one's comrades is the absolute foundation of everything," such a notion would be utterly unbelievable.

"The other players on Team KL are excellent in their own right. Why would Kim Tae-hyun act like that?"

"How should I explain this..." Lee Se-yeon massaged her forehead, recalling Team KL's second match from a few days ago.

In the esports world, where the US and China dominated and Korea chased closely behind, European teams always carried the hopes of their fans. One day, a European team will stand at the top! Since there were relatively few European teams in the league, they received immense support and cheers from European fans.

...Anyway, they received plenty of cheers and support.

No team would dare play without a solid defense after witnessing Team KL's first massacre... excuse me, first match. The London Pirates fielded a composition with two tanks and two healers. They were so terrified of Tae-hyun that they had completely overhauled their roster.

With two tanks and two healers, they aimed to maximize their survivability and withstand Tae-hyun's surprise attacks! They had even optimized their gear specifically for bomb resistance and physical damage resistance. Looked at negatively, they were utterly terrified; looked at positively, it was a flexible strategy.

And the only reason they could adopt such a flexible strategy was because they weren't a powerhouse team. To be frank, even with the most generous assessment, the London Pirates were a mid-tier team at best, and it was hard to call them a powerhouse.

Powerhouse teams had fixed starting rosters and clearly defined tactics. No matter who the opponent was, they pushed forward with their own style! All teams considered top-tier did this, to varying degrees. If a team constantly changed its tactics to match every opponent throughout the league, it would only confuse the players and ruin their synergy. That would be putting the cart before the horse.

But weaker teams had far less of that burden. If they somehow managed to pull off an upset, it would be a massive jackpot!

The screams of the fans echoed through the arena. To the opposing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠team's supporters, Tae-hyun's appearance was nothing short of a horror movie!

Looking at their composition, they only have one damage dealer. In that case, I can just drag my team along. Tae-hyun had already deduced more than half of the opponent's strategy just from their roster.

Since they lack damage dealers, even if I get cursed, the incoming damage will be low. Instead of wasting time defending, I should just land a few more hits...

He dodged the blocking tank's attack and focused his strikes on the knees. Once he inflicted a status condition, he unleashed his accumulated critical hits through the gaps in the shield, detonating them for massive damage.

For a tank, being afflicted with a status condition in front of Tae-hyun was practically synonymous with becoming a punching bag. Tae-hyun's reaction speed allowed him to execute rapid multi-hits of his skills several times faster than other damage dealers could even make a decision and cast a single ability. It was a difference in innate talent!

"Archisus's First Strike, followed by Critical Explosion!"

As the opposing tank's HP plummeted below 20%, they couldn't hold their ground any longer and scrambled backward in a panic. Tae-hyun didn't bother giving chase. There were other targets that needed to die first.

As Tae-hyun attempted to penetrate their formation, the panicked players pulled out their prepared countermeasures. Their plan was to bind Tae-hyun's feet while the two healers kept the other Team KL players in check. Their offensive power was weak, but it was more than enough to disrupt them!

But at that moment, a torrential storm of magic began to rain down from above.

That kid Su-hyeok. I told him to deal damage to his heart's content, and he's really going all out. Jeong Su-hyeok's explosive burst damage! Since there was virtually no chance of Tae-hyun dying, Su-hyeok was firing off spells with reckless abandon. Thanks to that, the opposing players were too busy protecting themselves to even think about anything else.

Tae-hyun prepared his skill combo to shred the healers first. The moment their eyes met, the healer's mind went completely blank.

While the foreign commentators stamped their feet in excitement, the London Pirates' sole damage dealer grit his teeth and launched a desperate counterattack alone.

In the end, Team KL secured a victory in their second match as well. It was such an overwhelming performance that fans were already whispering about an undefeated championship run. Both matches displayed an intense dominance that left absolutely no room for counterplay!

Lee Se-yeon acknowledged that it was a masterpiece of a match, but at the same time, she felt she knew exactly what was going through Tae-hyun's mind.

He's probably worried his teammates will make a mistake.

Matches between other teams had a much slower tempo. They would complete their preparations, engage in a war of attrition while looking for openings, and then bite down hard on whatever weakness was exposed.

Of course, those were thrilling battles in their own right, but Team KL was on an entirely different level. There was no way Kim Tae-hyun didn't know how to play that way. The very fact that he chose such an aggressive, breakneck playstyle meant he was constantly worried his teammates would mess up.

"Kim Tae-hyun is truly amazing."

"...That's true."

Lee Se-yeon was about to launch into a passionate, Ah! You know Kim Tae-hyun too?! rant, but she caught herself. She had her pride, after all. It would be embarrassing to sound too enthusiastic!

"To be honest, he's a player I'd love to play alongside at least once."

"That's also true."

"The topic came up recently, and I hope it goes well."

"That's also... Wait, no, that's not true! What topic?! Didn't that end in failure?!"

Lee Se-yeon gasped in shock. Seeing her reaction, the usually affable Smith waved his hands in a panic.

"Ah... you must keep this a secret. The New York Lions are discussing recruiting Kim Tae-hyun again, no matter what it takes..."

Even before Pandemonium Online, the New York Lions were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠notorious for buying expensive players to secure championships. It was only possible because the organization was filthy rich! Even as a kid, Se-yeon used to fume, thinking, You greedy bastards! Stop buying everyone up!

But hearing that they were trying to buy Kim Tae-hyun again made her blood boil. If he joined Yuseong Gaming, that would be fine, but she absolutely could not tolerate him going to the New York Lions!

"That will absolutely never happen...!"

"Well, if we show enough sincerity, who knows?"

"No way!"

And now, in the present. Lee Se-yeon's group had spotted Tae-hyun's party and joined up with them.

"Lee Se-yeon. Would you happen to have any interest in becoming a promotional ambassador for Yuseong Life Insurance?"

"Excuse me? I'm a Necromancer, you know?"

"......"

Chairman Yoo brought it up casually, only to immediately feel embarrassed. Now that he thought about it, the imagery was definitely a bit bizarre!

Meanwhile, the New York Lions players whispered among themselves in the back.

"Is there really a need to hunt wyverns in the Zaion Mountains? Isn't it too difficult?"

"No. If it's a Silver Wyvern, it's absolutely worth it."

"R183 G183 B178?"

"Are you insane? It's R184 G184 B178. Are your eyes just for decoration?"

Rankers were cold and precise. Color was a matter of grave importance!

"Well, we'll be on our way now."

"Y-yes, go ahead."

As Lee Se-yeon's group reorganized their formation and departed, Chairman Yoo felt a twinge of regret.

Should I have told them Kim Tae-hyun is here?

Lee Se-yeon was an impeccable team leader, but whenever she got involved with Kim Tae-hyun, she strangely seemed to fall apart.

Even though the goblins had paved the way, a hastily dug underground tunnel could hardly be in good condition. Receiving a barrage of penalty messages, Tae-hyun's party made their descent.

Enduring the trek, they eventually reached a surprisingly decent underground passage. Instead of dirt and dust, the ceiling and walls were reinforced with solid stone!

"Who made this?"

"It doesn't look like the goblins' work."

Of course it isn't. Goblins were the type to argue that they should dig another hole rather than waste time polishing one. They were a race obsessed with completing construction in the shortest time possible! There was no way they would show such meticulous care.

"If it's not goblins... it has to be Dwarfs, right?"

"There are also spirits or demons..."

"Don't say such ominous things."

Tae-hyun flinched at the goblins' words. There were indeed demons that dwelt underground.

It'll be troublesome if we run into them here... If a demon died here, they would just be reverse-summoned back to the Demon Realm, so only Tae-hyun would suffer a loss. Besides, this place was perfect for a mutual double-death!

"It looks like Dwarfs."

"I think it's Dwarfs too."

"Right?"

"No! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠There is no way it's Dwarfs!" The Underground Alliance Goblins remained unyielding. They absolutely detested Dwarfs!

"Those dwarf bastards making a passage like this..."

Thud, thud, thud—

A cascade of message windows popped up! Thanks to his titles related to Engineering and Blacksmithing, Tae-hyun naturally enjoyed a baseline level of favorability with Dwarfs. However, there was one catch...

An unexpected negative effect! Fortunately, because he had so many bonuses, it wasn't a major issue.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

"Lower your weapons, brethren! We are not enemies!" The Dwarfs of the Archisus Artillery stepped forward to negotiate. However, they had forgotten exactly what kind of company they were keeping.

"W-what is that behind you?! Giants and demons?!"

"N-no, these guys are well-trained and raised..."

"Emergency! Emergency! Some crazy bastards have brought giants and demons down here!!"

Bwaaaaaap—

A dwarven horn blared, and the dwarf patrol began to flee so fast their short legs became a blur. The Dwarfs of the Archisus Artillery muttered in utter despair.

"But they're... well-trained and raised...! Ugh...!"