A Different Kind of Aura
Cain realized something was off, but he couldn't even complain. Every single guest on the show was desperately trying to strike up a conversation with Tae-hyun!
"Player Kim Tae-hyun! About the strategy you showed in the last match..."
"Player Kim Tae-hyun. By any chance, is your current quest..."
"Player Kim Tae-hyun, is there anywhere you'd like to visit together in Pan-On..."
"Player Kim Tae-hyun, Player Kim Tae-hyun, Player Kim Tae-hyun..."
Watching this passionate reception, Cain thought to himself, Wait, isn't your reaction a bit different from when you were talking to me?!
It wasn't that they were interested in Tae-hyun and indifferent to Cain. It was their attitude! Yes! Their attitude is completely different!
When they interacted with Cain, they treated him like some sort of comedian. It was painfully obvious they were waiting with bated breath, thinking, When is he going to make us laugh again?
But when they addressed Tae-hyun, they sat up straight, their eyes brimming with deep respect as they asked their questions. ...I want that kind of reaction too!
I-I'm a pretty good tank too, aren't I?! Then why am I...! Popularity and respect were two very different things. No matter how popular Cain was, he always felt strangely distant from actually being respected. ...Though the reason why was painfully obvious!
"Hang in there, Cain. I'm your fan."
"Ha-yeon...!"
"...But by any chance, could you get me Kim Tae-hyun's autograph? I don't really need it, but the other girls in my group begged me to get one..."
"Ha-yeon!"
It was a cry of a completely different nature than before! With everyone shouting Tae-hyun's name and trying to get their own words in, the broadcast was grinding to a halt. The MC stepped in to calm everyone down and restore order.
"Now, now, everyone. We are all cheering for Player Kim Tae-hyun! And of course, it's only natural. Isn't everyone anticipating that he will reclaim our title as the birthplace of esports, which has been taken from us for quite some time?"
Traditionally, Korea had been an esports powerhouse, but looking at recent years, it was hard to make that claim. Starting with the decline of Yuseong Gaming, which had once been the face of the nation, other Korean teams had also spent a long time far away from any championship trophies.
In a way, it was only natural. Professional gaming was ultimately a battle of capital. It was obvious that teams backed by massive investments, allowing them to run state-of-the-art facilities and hire top-tier coaching staff, would hold the upper hand.
Consequently, the ones who had snatched away the title of the esports powerhouse were China and the United States—the two nations with the most overwhelming capital. The scale of the funds their teams operated with was on an entirely different level compared to teams from other countries. While the teams of those two giants clashed at the top, Europe and Korea were left chasing after them...
But in Pan-On, the tables had turned! First, there was Team KL—a team run with a miraculous, almost amateur-league-like operation where the players formed and managed the team themselves without any external investment. Then there was Yuseong Gaming, receiving such unprecedented support that rumors claimed their chairman had gone mad. These two teams were showing insane momentum, beginning to dominate the massive market that was Pan-On.
What did it matter if you excelled in other games? Pan-On was the most overwhelmingly dominant game in the world. The glory earned here was the greatest glory of all!
Other Korean teams like ST Five and KG Wizard were in the 1st Division, but they weren't considered championship contenders. Although Yuseong Gaming boasted a formidable roster now, most people still favored Team KL. Why? Because there was something about Team KL's matches that utterly overwhelmed their opponents.
It wasn't just a standard match where both sides traded blows until the more skilled team pulled ahead and snowballed their lead. It was a fierce, relentless battle that defied conventional strategies! Perhaps because of this approach, Team KL's matches exuded an aura that no one else could replicate.
"That's right! I'm really looking forward to it too!" Lecia, who had been waiting for her chance, raised her hand and chimed in. "Your match against the Beijing Fighters just a while ago! It was truly amazing!"
Even with the Curse of the Volcano unleashed, the league kept rolling! Regardless of how difficult a quest Tae-hyun and his companions were currently tackling, the schedule for their next match arrived. To make matters worse, their opponent was none other than the Beijing Fighters, a powerhouse widely considered a championship contender. They were arguably the strongest team Tae-hyun's squad had faced to date.
Unlike other Chinese teams that stubbornly insisted on only recruiting Chinese players, they boasted a roster gathered from all over the world. They had a coach who could seamlessly integrate famous players and resolve any ego clashes that might arise, backed by astronomical financial power. They were the very picture of a stable, formidable powerhouse.
"...W-we can win, right? Please tell me we can win." Even Cain blurted that out without thinking!
"Hmm. Well, let's just do our best. It's not like we'll get eliminated from the league just because of one loss."
"...!" The other teammates gasped in shock at Tae-hyun's words. Was the opponent really that formidable?
Looking at how Tae-hyun fights, there's no way he'd ever lose... Is it because of me...?!
Ugh... Senior is many times greater than any of those players... Is it because of me...?!
Damn it. Honestly, if we're just talking about Tae-hyun, no one on their side can even touch him. If only I were a bit stronger...! Is it because of me...?!
Should I just self-destruct? Eh, whatever. Kim Tae-hyun will figure something out. Except for one person, everyone steeled themselves with grim determination. They would do their absolute best for Tae-hyun! Even if they couldn't carry the game themselves, they would make sure they didn't get in his way!
"!" Tae-hyun wore a look of utter shock as he stared at the Beijing Fighters' roster.
"Tae-hyun, what's wrong?"
"...T-this makes no sense."
While other teams deployed entire analysis squads to dissect their opponents piece by piece, Tae-hyun analyzed them entirely in his own head. Yet, his predictions were almost never wrong—an ability that would make other team owners cry out in frustration, Hey, that's seriously unfair! Are you playing this game alone?! We pay a fortune to run our analysis teams!
But right now, the Beijing Fighters' lineup completely defied Tae-hyun's expectations. What on earth is that bizarre composition?
He had prepared himself for everything—a stable, standard composition, a counter-attack composition utilizing the Beijing Fighters' renowned assassin-type damage dealers, or even the 5-Tanker composition popularized by the Alaska Polar Bears. Since the Beijing Fighters had such a deep player pool, they were capable of executing a wide variety of strategies. But this...
For starters, is this... a 5-Tanker composition?
Their captain, Captain China. He was an assassin-type damage dealer skilled in stealth and gap-closers, specializing in shutting down enemy healers. Yet today, the gear he wore consisted entirely of heavy plate armor! No matter how he looked at it, it was tank equipment. Granted, the stats of the gear were top-tier even among rankers, but... was there any benefit to putting tank gear on a damage dealer? Was there some hidden mechanic Tae-hyun didn't know about?
No matter how I look at it, the drawbacks seem far greater. Was it because they needed the captain's leadership? Or did their captain possess a hidden class with tanking capabilities, just like Tae-hyun? Setting that aside for a moment, he looked at the next player.
It was Chauchau, the damage dealer who usually dove in for assassinations alongside the captain. He was one of the twin pillars of their counter-attack composition. ...But he, too, was wearing tank equipment. At this point, Tae-hyun was genuinely starting to get confused.
Just why?! The two actual tanks were familiar faces—decent tanks, as expected of a top-tier team. Tae-hyun breathed a sigh of relief. Phew. At least common sense still exists. And the final player... was someone he had never seen before. This player was also fully decked out in tank gear, but he looked so incredibly nervous that there was no way he was strong.
Is he a secret weapon?! It was a composition that utterly defied Tae-hyun's common sense! From damage dealers wearing tank gear to fielding a completely unknown player—was the opposing team really that confident?! ...Did I let my guard down too much?
"Coach, the match is about to start..."
"Fucking hell, piece of shit, motherfucking..."
"..."
Sabet, the coach of the Beijing Fighters, was muttering curses as if he wanted to damn the entire world! The staff member quickly turned around and retraced his steps. I'll just pretend I didn't hear that!
"...I should have just stayed in Europe. Why did I have to come to a team like this in my final years just to chase fame and fortune, goddammit..." Sabet let out a sigh heavy enough to sink the earth. Right now, the Beijing Fighters' fans were spamming question marks over this bizarre composition.
- A 5... 5-Tank composition...? Is it a 5-Tank comp?
- If you're going for a 5-Tank comp, shouldn't you actually use tanks??
- Who is that guy? I've never seen that tank before. Was he a sub?
- Has the coach lost his mind?! Did he get shot in the head?!
- This is why we shouldn't have hired a foreign coach...
- B-but surely the coach has a plan, right?
- Exactly. Look who the coach is!
Sabet threw his phone. If he looked at it any longer, the stress felt like it would burn a hole straight through his stomach. The day before the match...
Sabet cursed the man to death in his mind as he modified the roster. Since a 5-Tanker composition was something he had at least considered, he selected five tanks who had decent synergy with each other...
You lunatic, that's under normal circumstances! How could he ask someone to play a role they never practiced when they were up against Kim Tae-hyun?!
Four tanks and one damage dealer... It wasn't the absolute worst. Since the captain would have to play defensively to mimic a tank, it felt a bit awkward, but it was still manageable...
Sabet realized it then. Ah...! That high salary was a trap...!
What a novel brand of lunatic...! Does this bastard not even watch Pan-On?!
Patting him on the shoulder, the general manager left in high spirits. Sabet was left with a hollow face to finalize the roster. And this was the result!
...Now, there is only one thing left to rely on. A miracle! A world-class player like Kim Tae-hyun always tried to read the situation too perfectly. If a bizarre composition like this appeared, he might get flustered and hesitate. If they could just shake Kim Tae-hyun, it would be a winnable match!
Of course, it wasn't even close.
I must have been out of my mind... to harbor such delusions... Watching his players get slaughtered during rounds one and two, Sabet covered his face with his hands.
Kim Tae-hyun had indeed been flustered. And because of that, he fought with everything he had.
The moment the match started, he leaped right into the middle of the uncoordinated tanks, obliterated one, and then, with a face still full of confusion and suspicion, proceeded to beat, beat, and beat them down even more...
Even though the Beijing Fighters were dying without securing a single kill, Tae-hyun continued to pour on his attacks with a bewildered and suspicious gaze. It was as if his eyes were saying: