A Sudden Revelation
Lee Se-yeon quickly denied it. "I was purely trying to help you..."
"Alright, alright. I'll sing."
Lee Se-yeon deeply regretted not being able to record this. Ah... I should have recorded this...!
With a fluttering heart, she stared at Tae-hyun. Was Kim Tae-hyun a good singer? Or was he terrible?
He's probably bad, right? It doesn't seem like he sings much. It'd be so funny if he's tone-deaf...!
Tae-hyun cleared his throat a few times and lightly began to sing. And surprisingly... he was good.
He's actually good?! She felt somehow cheated!
He produced a clean sound with textbook vocalization, maintaining his pitch so perfectly that he sounded like someone who had practiced singing for a long time.
"...I thought you said you didn't sing much?"
"I had to level up my skill this time, so I watched a few things and practiced."
Anyone else would have found his words incredibly obnoxious! Yet, for some reason, Lee Se-yeon found herself accepting Tae-hyun's explanation.
Well, if it's him, I guess this much is... At this point, she felt she wouldn't be surprised no matter what kind of sudden ability he pulled out of his sleeve.
"Players, please step out!"
The waiting players stood up. Currently sitting in the waiting area were the captains of each team.
— Production Team Meeting Transcript —
"Now that the league is over, let's gather the players and shoot a talk show where they can speak candidly!"
"That's a good idea, but... won't the production costs be too high?"
"Don't worry about that. The higher-ups gave us permission to use an unlimited budget."
"?!?!"
The popularity of the Pan-On League made both broadcasting stations and advertisers open their wallets wide. Right after the conclusion of the Pan-On League, gathering only the Korean players who had performed exceptionally well for a special broadcast? Just thinking about it was thrilling!
Production costs and casting fees didn't matter. They had to seize this hot topic first, no matter what. Otherwise, another broadcasting station would snatch it up!
"We've been waiting quite a while."
"They must have had a lot to talk about first."
Although it was a broadcast that gathered Korean players active on the global stage in one place, there was a specific order. First, the tanks were sent out to chat, followed by the damage dealers, and then the healers... The players took turns appearing on stage by role! Since the team captains were scheduled to appear last, it built up immense anticipation for the viewers.
That idiot Cain is making me anxious. The boisterous laughter echoing from outside made Tae-hyun uneasy. Cain wasn't out there spouting nonsense, was he?
Well, he's met the new coach, so he should be fine. Tae-hyun decided to trust him. Actually, he didn't have much of a choice but to trust him...
As they walked out, Lee Se-yeon spoke up as if she had just remembered. "Oh, right. I heard you got a new coach?"
"Ah, yeah. Doing everything by myself was getting too exhausting."
"..."
Of course it was! What kind of ignorant person in the world does all of that alone! Although not to the same extent as Tae-hyun, Lee Se-yeon held significant influence within Yuseong Gaming. Chairman Yu placed absolute trust and respect in Lee Se-yeon, who had resurrected the completely shattered Yuseong Gaming and turned it into a top-tier team. Since the chairman respected her, no employee dared to cross her. Thanks to this, Lee Se-yeon was kept in the loop regarding the team's operational status and future plans.
...He probably doesn't know that Yuseong Gaming went into absolute chaos because of that coach. Tae-hyun seemed completely oblivious, but Yuseong Gaming had been turned upside down. Chairman Yu had flown into an absolute rage.
"Why? Why?!"
"P-Please calm down, Chairman!"
"Did I ask you to calm me down? I asked you why! Why?! Why is that?!"
"Well... that is..."
"Did we make the offer too late?"
"N-No, we made the offer quickly."
"Were the terms lacking?"
"The terms were excellent, and they were satisfied with them..."
"Then why did an article like this come out and stab me in the back! Explain yourselves!"
"That's... during the approval process, the higher-ups insisted they needed to review it... and by the time they took it, we ran out of time..."
"......"
Rumors were circulating that a bloodbath was underway because they had missed out on hiring the coach. Lee Se-yeon believed it wasn't just a rumor. Knowing the chairman, it was highly likely! By now, the executives of Yuseong Group should have realized exactly who was backing Yuseong Gaming...
"The captain of Team KL, and the star of this league..."
As Tae-hyun stepped out, the host reeled off an incredibly long introduction. He was a player with so many achievements that even a brief summary felt endlessly long!
"...Player Kim Tae-hyun!"
A torrent of applause erupted. The players already seated stared at Tae-hyun with expressions mixed with respect and jealousy. No matter how much they had suffered at Tae-hyun's hands, no one could deny his skill. Through this season, Tae-hyun had truly become the players' player—the ultimate role model everyone aspired to be.
Tae-hyun took his seat. The other players of Team KL were already sitting beside him.
"Lee Da-bi. Cain didn't say anything stupid, did he?"
"Tae-hyun, you're wearing a mic, so everyone can hear you..."
Laughter erupted from the crowd. Cain blushed and muttered, "I didn't...!"
"Hahaha! Checking if Player Cain said anything stupid first thing. Truly worthy of the captain and team owner!"
A player Tae-hyun had never seen before raised his hand and spoke up hesitantly. "Um, may I ask Player Kim Tae-hyun a question?"
Tae-hyun didn't know him, but he was a rookie playing in the 2nd Division.
"Ah, of course you may! It seems Player Kim Tae-hyun will be receiving quite a few questions today!"
To the rookies, Tae-hyun was someone they had endless questions for. What would he ask? Damage-dealing methods? Skill combos? Character growth strategies? The league's tactical meta? Or perhaps some psychological advice?
"Do you really do all the housework by yourself?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I do all of it."
Gasps of astonishment erupted from all around. Good grief! Cain's face flushed even redder, but because the first question was so trivial, the tension in the room dissipated. Hey, if the first question is at that level, maybe I can ask something too?
As a barrage of questions poured in, the host stepped in to moderate. "Alright, alright, everyone! Questions are great, but at this rate, we'll never finish. Let's move on to the next segment!"
The players looked deeply disappointed. They wanted to ask so much more!
"It seems we've only asked players from domestic teams so far. Shall we throw some questions to the players active in overseas teams? Let's see... Player Jung Jae-hyung!"
Who's that? As Tae-hyun looked puzzled, Lee Da-bi traced letters onto his palm with her finger.
"..."
Sitting next to them, Lee Se-yeon wore a sour expression. Are you two dating? Why are you holding hands and doing... whatever that is during a sacred broadcast?
"You've joined the prestigious New York Lions. How is it there?"
While large Chinese gaming organizations possessed astronomical capital, overseas players often shied away from China's closed-off environment. There was too much interference, and they had to worry about many things outside of the game. In contrast, large American organizations were much better in that regard. Consequently, even among top-tier teams, American organizations were far more popular among players. In that sense, the New York Lions were one of the most sought-after teams—boasting scale, popularity, track record, and skill...
"T-Thank you. Since I just joined, everyone there is so amazing, so I was really nervous."
"Do you think you'll make the starting lineup next season?"
"I'm not sure. I will do my absolute best."
Such rookie-like freshness! The other players watched him with warm, paternal smiles.
"Come to think of it, we haven't seen Player Smith in the first-tier matches for a while. What happened?"
"Senior Smith is currently conducting a final review and fine-tuning his tactics. I believe he will be playing starting next season."
At those words, Lee Se-yeon whispered softly to Tae-hyun, "Isn't that cheap?"
"It is a bit cheap. But what can you do? It's his choice not to play."
Whether they won or lost, Lee Se-yeon and Tae-hyun went out there, gave it their all, and utilized everything they had. Yet Smith had completely sat out just because he hated losing! How cowardly, Smith!
"But Smith's momentum lately is actually pretty terrifying."
Not only had Smith surpassed Level 300, but he had also completely decimated the Guild Alliance's army. He must have leveled up quite a bit from that. Tae-hyun found Smith highly troublesome. It wasn't because of his supposedly pure and diligent personality... well, maybe a little bit...
I've hated Paladins since Pan-On 1. A nightmare with mind-bogglingly high HP that exhausted the attacker first! A Paladin curled up with all kinds of buffs active was truly horrific. Even if Tae-hyun landed dozens of hits, they would just heal, endure, and block with skills...
Thank goodness I have the Adamantium Armor, at least... With his low HP, Tae-hyun had to rely entirely on his evasion and control. If his evasion was breached even once, the incoming damage would be fatal. The safety net for such moments was the Adamantium Armor.
I have the Emperor Slayer, so it should be doable, but that weapon is also highly unstable. The Emperor Slayer was a truly broken item. A crazy weapon that shaved off a percentage of the opponent's total HP! The problem was that using it would drain Tae-hyun's already fragile Constitution even further. If he swung it a few times, his HP would become so low that a gentle breeze could blow him away!
"You're stronger than Smith, so don't worry too much."
"...?"
Tae-hyun was taken aback by Lee Se-yeon's completely out-of-the-blue remark. Seeing his bewilderment, Lee Se-yeon asked in a disgruntled voice, "What?"
"No, it's just... I didn't expect you to compliment me."
"I always praise what deserves praise. And thanks for last time."
"For what?"
"If you don't know, forget it. Just know that I'm grateful."
"Don't tell me you're thanking me for beating you?"
"Tae-hyun, even I think that's highly unlikely."
Lee Se-yeon sent a grateful look to Lee Da-bi. Lee Da-bi bowed her head with a flattered expression.
While the three of them whispered among themselves, Player Jung Jae-hyung was diligently answering questions. In the midst of this, the host threw out another question. "By the way, how is the equipment for the New York Lions?"
In Pan-On, the equipment a gaming organization could procure was also a measure of their capability. Of course, many players simply used the gear they had been using for a long time, but surprisingly, many also used separate, league-exclusive equipment. Equipping items with PvP-specific options gave them a massive advantage! In that regard, large gaming organizations truly pushed their way through with money. They swept up all kinds of rare materials and gear, not to mention hiring high-ranking blacksmiths...
"The New York Lions' equipment is absolutely incredible! I really hope to become a starter so I can wear the Adamantium Armor too."
"I see! I'll be rooting for you!"
"...???"
"?!?!?"
Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon, who had been chatting, froze. What did he just say? Adamantium Armor?!
"...Did you supply that to them?!"
"What kind of nonsense is that? We don't even have enough for ourselves!"
"Then how on earth do they have it already? Even we haven't been able to craft it yet..."
"What? You guys were trying to make it too?"
"Of course we were. Did you think we'd just sit on our hands?"
Every large gaming organization was desperately trying to craft Adamantium Armor. They felt a sheer sense of urgency—if they didn't want to be completely wiped out by Tae-hyun next season, it was an absolute necessity! How on earth did the New York Lions manage to make it?