The Ultimate Father's Prize

President Yoon had never cared much for Pan-On. Despite the media constantly raving about its explosive popularity, he had always dismissed it as nothing more than a children's toy. To a man like him, a jersey signed by professional gamers was utterly worthless. He couldn't imagine the corporate titans and business leaders gathered here today opening their wallets for such a thing.

"What is it? Do you not like it?"

"Not at all, Chairman. I'm sure the younger crowd will absolutely love it."

"Right? That's exactly what I was thinking when I brought it."

As they opened the door and stepped inside, the guests already seated rose to greet them.

"Chairman Yoo, it's been a long time."

"Haha, indeed it has."

"May we ask what you brought today? I'm still putting that fishing rod you brought last time to excellent use."

Watching the crowd swarm Chairman Yoo, President Yoon felt a quiet pang of jealousy. It wasn't just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his immense status; Chairman Yoo possessed a genuine, magnetic charisma that naturally drew people to him wherever he went.

"Chairman, why has it been so hard to see you on the golf course lately?"

"You haven't even invited us out fishing either... We're starting to feel a bit neglected."

"Haha, I've just been rather busy lately..."

"Busy with what, if I may ask?"

"I'll tell you later. Anyway, what did you all bring today?"

The attendees began listing their contributions one by one. A parade of luxury items, starting from high-end paintings, was unveiled.

"And what did you bring, Chairman?"

"I... brought a jersey."

"A jersey? Ah, is it a Pan-On jersey?"

"Oh, come on, Chairman. Isn't a plain jersey a bit too modest? I know Yuseong Gaming is doing incredibly well, but still. Did you just come here to brag about your team?" teased one of the presidents who was relatively close to Chairman Yoo. Yuseong Gaming was indeed a powerhouse these days, but a mere team jersey felt a bit underwhelming for an event like this! Besides, I'm actually a Team KL fan. He kept that to himself, knowing Chairman Yoo might take offense if he said it out loud, but he was secretly a massive fan of Kim Tae-hyun.

"It's a signed jersey."

"Oh? A signed jersey? Don't tell me it has Lee Se-yeon's signature..."

The president's eyes lit up. He might ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be a Tae-hyun fan, but he had to admit Lee Se-yeon's signature was a massive prize. If he brought that home, his daughter would be absolutely thrilled!

"I have one signed by Lee Se-yeon, some signed by the other players... and I also brought a jersey signed by Kim Tae-hyun."

"!"

"!!"

"!!!"

More than half the people in the room whipped their heads around instantly. President Yoon flinched at the sudden, violent reaction. What is wrong with these people?

"Y-you have a jersey signed by Kim Tae-hyun?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"N-no, it's just... he's not even part of Yuseong Gaming, is he?"

"It's for a good cause, so I asked him for a personal favor."

"My god... Oh my god...!" the president muttered, his voice trembling with excitement. Seeing this, Chairman Yoo narrowed his eyes and spoke in a dry tone.

"I say, your reaction to this seems a bit different from when I mentioned Lee Se-yeon's jersey."

"Haha... Of course not, Chairman! You misunderstand! Lee Se-yeon's jersey is fantastic too! My daughter absolutely adores her..." Even as he spoke, his eyes were darting around the room. It was the gaze of a predator hunting down its prey—specifically, the Kim Tae-hyun signed jersey!

...I expected this, but experiencing it in person still leaves a bitter taste. Chairman Yoo felt a complex mix of satisfaction and annoyance. It was great that his donation was going to be a massive hit, but... why on earth was Kim Tae-hyun more popular than his own star player?! Of course, Chairman Yoo knew the reason. Tae-hyun's performance in the recent Pan-On League had been utterly, overwhelmingly dominant. While Yuseong Gaming was merely a strong team... Team KL was a team writing its own myth! A self-made squad of just a few players, operating without any corporate backing, had taken the league by storm and turned it completely upside down. People couldn't help but cheer and go wild for them. Team KL possessed a narrative that no massive, corporate-sponsored gaming organization could ever replicate.

Still, I'm glad I went through the trouble of getting it. Chairman Yoo had fully expected to struggle when asking for the favor. Tae-hyun was notoriously difficult to deal with when it came to these things! After all, who else in the world would sell a territory to someone and then tell them, "Oh, by the way, you have to conquer it yourself, haha"? But Tae-hyun's reaction had defied all expectations.

Thanks to that, Chairman Yoo was able to secure two legendary items—er, rather, two charity donations: a jersey signed by Kim Tae-hyun and another by Lee Se-yeon. Calling them legendary items was a bit of a joke, but holding them really did make him feel like he was carrying top-tier loot!

"Is... is that really such a big deal?" President Yoon asked, utterly bewildered. At first, he thought they were just sucking up to Chairman Yoo, but their reactions were far too genuine. In fact, several of the presidents had huddled together in a corner, whispering intensely.

Hearing President Yoon's question, the man sitting next to him gasped in shock. "Wait, President Yoon, you don't know who Kim Tae-hyun is?"

"I've heard the name... Isn't he just some pro gamer in Pan-On? Is he really that big of a deal?"

At his response, the man looked at him with profound pity.

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sigh. 'Big deal' doesn't even begin to cover it. You have no idea how obsessed the younger generation is with him."

"What about baseball or soccer...?"

"They don't even compare!"

"Is it really that extreme?"

"As expected of Chairman Yoo. Even at his age, he's completely in tune with the latest trends."

President Yoon grimaced at the praise being showered on Chairman Yoo. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can do that too! I can be trendy! Then, a thought struck him. Wait, don't we have one of those?

"Our group has an esports team as well, right? Would our team's jersey be popular too?"

"You mean LK Galaxy?"

"Ah, you know the name! So they are popular after all?" President Yoon asked, a spark of hope igniting within him. If LK Galaxy was that popular, he was ready to call them right this second and order them to sign some jerseys...

"They're a 2nd Division team, President Yoon."

"...Huh?" Having zero interest in Pan-On, President Yoon had no clue whether LK Galaxy was actually good or not.

"What do you mean, 2nd Division...?"

"Well, to put it simply, the top-tier teams compete in the 1st Division... and the teams that aren't quite up to par are in the 2nd Division."

"What?! Our team is in the 2nd Division?!" President Yoon's blood boiled. He had poured money into funding an esports team, only to find out they were second-rate! Those useless fools!

The man beside him suddenly turned dead serious. "President Yoon, you shouldn't look down on the Pan-On League. It's a massive arena where giant corporations pour in astronomical investments to compete. Even making it to the 2nd Division is an incredible feat."

"Well... I suppose, but..."

"Besides, LK Galaxy barely receives any financial support from the parent company. Honestly, they're doing remarkably well considering their budget."

"...How do you know so much about another company's team?"

"Any true fan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who knows what they're looking at can figure it out."

Just looking at their roster acquisitions tells you everything you need to know about their budget! The man next to him was clearly no ordinary fan. Every time he opened his mouth, a torrent of gaming trivia poured out. President Yoon was starting to get bored and tried to back away, but the man refused to let him go. Viewing this as a golden opportunity to convert a newcomer to the church of Pan-On, he held President Yoon captive and launched into an endless stream of stories.

"This happened back in Pan-On 1, and let me tell you, those were wild times. All these massive guilds were running around claiming they were the absolute best. I played a bit back then too, but I couldn't even lift my head in front of those guys. And then, Kim Tae-hyun appeared..."

"..."

President Yoon barely managed to keep his consciousness from slipping away. What did I do to deserve this torture? Out of polite obligation, he couldn't just walk away, so he suffered in silence. But as he kept listening, he found himself surprisingly drawn in.

"...So, what happened next? How did Tae-hyun handle having three guild leaders corner him all at once? Surely it was impossible to fight all three of them, especially with so many of their guild members surrounding the area..."

"Aha! I knew you'd love this, President Yoon!"

Oops.

"Now, to explain what happened next, we first have to talk about the mine quest Kim Tae-hyun did a month ago. In that mine, Kim Tae-hyun..."

"Oh? Ohhh...?"

The crowd glared at the auctioneer with burning, predatory eyes. The auctioneer broke into a cold sweat, utterly bewildered. Why is everyone looking at me like they want to eat me alive?

The jersey... I must get that jersey...!

I will become the ultimate father today.

Why would I give it to my son? I'm wearing it myself!

"Ah, the auction is starting. Excuse me, President Yoon, I need to focus. I'm planning to bid on that..."

"No! You can't just stop there! If you start a story, you have to finish it!"

"B-but President Yoon, I really need to buy that jersey..."

"You won't be able to afford it anyway! So, what happened next?! After the three guild leaders fell into the trap, what did Kim Tae-hyun do?!"

The charity auction was an unprecedented success. The highlight of the night was, without a doubt, Kim Tae-hyun's signed jersey! It was a rare and glorious sight to see middle-aged corporate executives tearing their hair out and weeping in despair after losing the bidding war.

And as for President Yoon, he had acquired a brand-new hobby.

"Pan-On 1 videos... Let's see, is it this one...?"

He had started looking up old gameplay videos of Pan-On 1! He wanted to see for himself just what kind of game could drive grown men to such madness.

"Let's wait until we have a few more people before tackling the second floor. For now, let's focus on our own quests."

The Training Tower of the Ancient Empire wasn't a place where they could just sit around and wait. The standard strategy was to clear a floor, go complete other quests elsewhere, and then return when they were ready!

"Cain, how's the situation in Nodranche?"

"The territory is in excellent shape! The population is growing rapidly, and the abandoned mines are being developed at a fast pace! The ancient underground city is also being restored, so soon..."

"Hmm... It would be great if we could borrow some strength from the Elves. It's close by, so getting their cooperation would be ideal."

"How?" Cain asked, bewildered. The Elves of Dungland were notorious for being noble, arrogant, and incredibly rude. Players who ran quests in Dungland constantly complained about how difficult they were to deal with!

"What do you mean 'how'? Like this."

Tae-hyun stepped outside and summoned Duke Gellendel. After a brief, whispered exchange, Gellendel burst into a hearty laugh and shouted, "Understood, Your Majesty!"

"!?!" Cain was utterly flabbergasted. He knew Tae-hyun was close with noble NPCs, but borrowing an entire fleet with just a single sentence?!

"H-how on earth did you do that?!"

"I just told him I was worried more Orcs or Ancient Beastmen might show up, and asked for his help. He gladly agreed."

"...!!!"

What terrifying intimacy! And what an absurd amount of contribution points he must have! Duke Gellendel adored Tae-hyun so much that if Tae-hyun asked him to co-sign a loan, the Duke would probably only hesitate for a single minute before signing his life away.

"Now then..." Tae-hyun began, looking around at his companions. Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, already knowing exactly what he was about to say.

"Let's go craft our Adamantium gear set!"

"Whoaaaaaa!"

Finally, they were ready to melt down the raw Adamantium!