The Brain of Team KL

Kim Tae-hyun. Currently the most popular and highest-paid player in Pandemonium Online. Ranked number one by every team (excluding the Beijing Fighters) as the "player ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we most want to recruit." In Season 1, he swept every title imaginable: most kills, most assists, fewest deaths, and most spectacular kill. While he was flawless as a player, industry insiders were actually more amazed by something else. Kim Tae-hyun was perfect not just as a player, but also as a coach and a general manager.

The players of Team KL weren't actually that famous to begin with. Cain was somewhat well-known, but the rest were all brought in, fed, and raised by Tae-hyun himself. And with a roster like that, he achieved an undefeated league championship! Honestly, the titles he earned as a coach felt far more impressive than his accolades as a player. But that wasn't all. He was world-class as a player, world-class as a coach, and looking at how he managed the team—securing sponsorships, appearing in documentaries, and promoting the gaming club—he was world-class as a general manager too. To think he was looking at Kim Tae-hyun, a man achieving a triple crown as a player, coach, and GM. Sabet was so shocked he was utterly speechless.

"Are you alright?"

"Ah, n-no. No... No. No."

"Since you said 'no' four times, does that mean you're fine?"

"I-it's not that... It is an absolute honor to meet you!!"

"Come now, Coach Sabet, weren't you far more successful than me during your active days?"

Sabet let out a hollow laugh. Honestly, although he had been an esports player in his prime, compared to Tae-hyun, he was merely a firefly before a full moon. Still, hearing those words made him feel good. To think the world's greatest player was treating him with such polite respect.

"What nonsense... Anyway, it is truly, truly an honor to meet you. I've always wanted to meet you at least once."

"Because of the Beijing Fighters?"

"Bwahaha! No, not because of that... I just wanted to see you as a fellow player."

Tae-hyun smiled and replied.

"I'm not quite at that level, but thank you."

"But why are you dressed like...?"

Sabet looked puzzled. Tae-hyun was wearing gear that looked like something a low-level mob or a beggar would wear. Was it a disguise?

"Ah. Is it a disguise?"

"Something like that, yes."

In truth, he had changed his gear because he was being hounded by the Count, but...

"I know you must have been bewildered when you received the offer."

To suddenly be asked to meet in Pan-On without even being told who sent the message. If it hadn't been for the person who delivered the word, Sabet would have thought it was a prank.

"I was a bit surprised."

"Well, the truth is..."

"?"

"Because of Team KL's reputation, even a single contact with someone causes the media to flip upside down."

There was only one reason Tae-hyun had summoned Sabet. To find a coach for Team KL!

Honestly, the first season was a bit of a crazy one.

After the first season ended, Tae-hyun reflected on his actions. He had placed too heavy a burden on his own shoulders. He had taken on far too much alone, both inside and outside the matches. He had been lucky that no major issues arose during the season, but there was no guarantee this luck would hold forever. Come next season, other teams would target the numerous weaknesses of Tae-hyun and Team KL. He had to prepare in advance.

I need to build a system. One that will keep us performing above average even if I take a few games off.

That was why the first position Tae-hyun sought to fill was the coach. Someone who could analyze opposing teams and formulate tactics and strategies in his stead. Honestly, the fact that Tae-hyun was currently doing all of this himself... It was only thanks to Lee Da-bi's help that he managed; otherwise, he would have been too busy to even feed Cain dinner. He needed a brain.

However, things happened that even Tae-hyun hadn't anticipated.

The coaches' reactions were far more intense than expected. The desire of currently unemployed coaches to return to active duty was astronomical. And their potential destination was none other than Team KL, the team that had just taken first place this season! Coaches swarmed in with all kinds of ambitions: to resurrect their reputation with Team KL, to deploy their tactics using Team KL's roster, or to build a legendary squad with Kim Tae-hyun as the core of their strategy. Furthermore, as rumors spread behind the scenes, even active coaches currently employed by other teams began to sneakily send messages.

"Ah... so that's why those articles popped up back then?"

"Yes."

Sabet was surprised. Not long ago, a flurry of articles had suddenly flooded the news.

Sabet was well aware that journalists loved to drag out Team KL stories whenever they were bored to suck up views. Just putting Team KL's name in a headline multiplied click rates dozens of times over. In the past, some reporters tried to draw aggro by writing negative articles about Team KL, but for some reason, those reporters were rarely seen anymore. They had likely been thoroughly blasted by Team KL's fans and forced into reflection. Thus, the current trend was to publish clickbait articles with titles like [EXCLUSIVE] or [SHOCKING] that contained absolutely no substance. Honestly, Sabet had assumed the "exclusive" about the coach was just another one of those! After all, clicking on an [EXCLUSIVE] article usually just led to a piece filled with nothing but the reporter's personal speculations.

"That's why I thought we had to approach this very carefully. We didn't know where word might leak out."

"I understand. Every other coach would kill to manage Team KL."

As Sabet spoke, a sudden realization struck him. Wait. Does this mean I'm currently interviewing to be Team KL's coach?

"T-then, am I... interviewing right now?"

"Yes. Here are the terms..."

"I'll do it!"

"The salary is double what you received at the Beijing Fighters..."

"I'll do it!!"

"No, at least look at the terms first."

"If you let me do it, I'll pay you instead!"

Tae-hyun was flustered for the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first time in a while. Are all coaches just completely out of their minds?

"Shouldn't we at least have a conversation before making a decision?"

"Ah. Of course. My apologies."

"Coach Sabet, if you were to take charge of Team KL, how would you run the team?"

"Hmm!"

Sabet fell into deep thought. It was a sudden question, but he was actually prepared. In fact, every other coach probably was too. Honestly, who hadn't indulged in the fantasy of "What if I coached the number one team?" Deploying his own tactics with Team KL's roster... After contemplating, Sabet reached a conclusion.

"...I think I would stay out of the way as much as possible."

"!"

Tae-hyun was surprised by the unexpected answer.

"I'd like to hear more about that."

"I believe Team KL is already a complete team. If I try to force new tactics or assign new roles, it's highly likely to cause friction."

"Does that mean you won't do anything?"

"Not at all. I will do my absolute best in the areas where I can contribute. Analyzing opposing teams, researching strategies, identifying weaknesses, and figuring out how Team KL's players should utilize their skills and what equipment they should choose... If I become Team KL's coach, I will pursue a 'managerial coaching' style."

Although he had left the Beijing Fighters after clashing with the front office, that was only because the Beijing Fighters' management was exceptionally bizarre. Sabet was originally confident in adapting to any style. At the Beijing Fighters, nothing had been established, so he had to run around frantically... but at Team KL, he only needed to manage the players' mental states, skills, and other details. A managerial coach who would accept various opinions from the front office and coaches—not that there were any other coaches, but still—and respect the players' freedom to the utmost! With a player like Kim Tae-hyun on the roster, there was absolutely no need for Sabet to step forward and order them to do this or that.

"Hmm. Coach Sabet."

"?"

Sabet flinched. Was that answer too much of a cop-out? Other coaches would probably have said, "If you make me coach, I'll bring in Lee Se-yeon and recruit Smith! Just trust me!"...

But still, I shouldn't lie.

He didn't want to be branded as a weirdo and kicked out here as well.

"I look forward to working with you."

"Pardon?"

"Please go ahead and read the rest of the contract. We prepared the compensation package to match the terms of other top-tier clubs, but there might be something we missed."

"...!!!"

Sabet felt like crying. And to think it was in front of a player young enough to be his younger brother.

"They said the review is finally complete."

"Why did it take so long?"

"The higher-ups threw a wrench in it."

"Wait... wasn't this proposal already approved by the Chairman?"

"A lot of people in the corporate group don't know that. They're just nitpicking to try and assert their authority."

When the Yuseong Gaming Team, which had originally been treated like an unwanted stepchild, began achieving monumental results, envious eyes from within the corporate group naturally turned toward them. Of course, they were doing this without knowing that the Chairman's personal favor backed the team. A crazy move they would never have dared to make had they known! But that was a secret kept by only a select few. Consequently, a few directors from the parent company caught wind of the situation and began finding fault, asking things like, "Why are we bringing in someone who caused such a stir as our coach?" and "Did they not consider our team's public image?"

"I know from my experience running the baseball team that a coach who caused trouble is—"

"Sigh. This should have been wrapped up much sooner. I feel terrible making him wait."

"Hurry up and contact him. He must be waiting."

"Surely no one else snatched him up first, right?"

"Pfft, hahaha! Are the big gaming clubs crazy? Those guys are slow-moving giants with outdated mindsets. How could they possibly make a move so quickly?"

The staff of Yuseong Gaming were brimming with confidence. They were also overflowing with pride—pride in leading the new trends of esports! And they weren't wrong. Perhaps because they were a group of outcasts who had rebuilt themselves from a ruined team, they weren't bound by old traditions, and with the Chairman's massive financial backing, they never hesitated. Want that player? Buy them! Need a certain facility? Build it!

"What about recruiting Kim Tae-hyun..."

"Do you want to get beaten up by the Chairman?"

The staff confidently sent out the message. And not long after, they received a reply from Sabet. It was an incredibly apologetic message.

"!!??!?!?!?!?!"

"Oh, heavens!!! Did I truly create this painting?!"

Count Besgo leaped from his seat in sheer excitement. The thrill of creating a masterpiece for the first time in his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠life! Cain caught a glimpse of the painting from the side and recoiled in horror. Yikes! That's definitely going to need a mosaic blur if it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ever gets broadcasted!

Of all things, why does the effect have to be so uselessly good!