An Irreplaceable Player
"What kind of absolute nonsense are you spouting?" the executive scolded his colleague.
He had told him to think of a way to get Kim Tae-hyun to participate in the tournament, and yet here he was, suggesting him as a judge. Besides, it was hard to fit a judge into a standard arena tournament. At best, they could have a referee, but if they invited Kim Tae-hyun just to referee, would he even come? Even if he did, the public would lose their minds.
Say what you want, but Tae-hyun's popularity in China was absolute. Of course, he had his fair share of anti-fans. After all, facing him as an opponent made people feel suffocated, their vision blurring with despair!
How many team fans had shed tears because of Tae-hyun! But regardless of that, they had no choice but to acknowledge his sheer skill.
And in truth, Kim Tae-hyun didn't just beat down one specific team; he beat everyone down equally. No single team was uniquely disadvantaged by him.
...Well, there were some teams that had self-destructed, but that was entirely their own fault.
Overwhelming skill, the legendary feat of forming a small gaming team and winning the championship amidst corporate giants, and a spectacular track record to boot. Tae-hyun was a player who simply couldn't help but be popular.
In fact, though Tae-hyun had no idea, several surveys had been conducted in China.
A few extreme anti-fans would fly into a rage whenever Tae-hyun's name was mentioned, screaming, "How dare you like Kim Tae-hyun?!" but the truth remained unchanged. Tae-hyun's popularity was global, and China was no exception.
But to bring such a player over just to referee and send him on his way...
"First of all, you'll have to take responsibility and film an apology broadcast."
"Come on, surely it wouldn't go that far..."
"It absolutely would, you idiot. Did you not see the serious discussions about naturalizing Kim Tae-hyun a while back?"
This was also something that had happened without Tae-hyun's knowledge, but it was a hot topic among Chinese fans.
China had actively recruited foreign geniuses in other sports like soccer. Of course, they faced sarcasm every time, with people asking, "Is that a Chinese team or a foreign team?" but the important thing was the result!
Although this incident ended with the media blasting them as "shameless youths," it ultimately served as proof of Tae-hyun's immense popularity.
"No. Actually, I think it's a good idea."
"What?! You want to invite him as a referee?!"
The executive wondered if Su Ning had finally lost his mind. Lately, he had been beaten up by the Erance Kingdom, beaten up by Smith, backstabbed by the Midas Guild, and thoroughly squeezed by investors. Had he finally snapped?
Well, it wouldn't be surprising if he did.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm talking about a judge."
"But... isn't a referee out of the question?"
"Who said anything about a referee? We just need to host a tournament where we can use Kim Tae-hyun as a judge."
"...?!?!"
"B-But isn't that... catering way too much to Kim Tae-hyun?"
"We're already catering to him plenty, why act surprised now..."
It really is a bit late to worry about that!
"How about something like this? Lately, there are always idiots boasting that if some ranker or another had entered, they would have swept the Pan-On League..."
"Don't we have a few of those in our guild too?"
"Shut up, it's embarrassing...!"
In truth, there was bound to be a difference between the Arena League, which was bound by all sorts of restrictions, and actual combat in Pan-On. There were also many rankers who didn't participate in the league. So it was only natural for fans to grumble, "Ah, if only so-and-so had entered, they'd be the strongest -_-"!
Thanks to the explosive success of the first season, everyone expected even more rankers to jump in for the second season.
"Anyway, we give those guys a chance. There are plenty of others who want to become pro players, so we give them a chance too."
"...!"
An audition program that offered a chance to debut as a pro player!
"Oh...!"
"What is it?"
"I'm just shocked because it's actually a decent idea!"
"You bastard..."
Listening to the executives' conversation, Su Ning was impressed. How on earth did these guys come up with such a sensible idea?
"That's good. And the purpose is great too, isn't it? Discovering raw diamonds!"
"Right?"
"Good. Draft a formal proposal and send it to Kim Tae-hyun's agent!"
"Are they crazy?"
"Have they lost their minds?"
"Are they out of their heads?"
The members of Team KL reacted violently to Vincent's report. Being invited as a VVIP to a tournament in China was... beyond baffling. It was downright suspicious.
"Kim Tae-hyun. In my opinion, this is a trap! If you go, they'll steal your passport and force you to naturalize."
"Sounds plausible..."
Vincent was flustered by the team members' sharp-tongued jokes.
"N-No. It's actually a very decent proposal. Considering Player Kim Tae-hyun's popularity in China, it's not strange to receive such an invitation."
Inviting one of the world's top esports players was not strange at all. It was a perfectly reasonable offer!
"What? Me, popular in China?"
Tae-hyun stared at Vincent as if he were speaking gibberish. The nationality of the players he had PK'ed the most in Pan-On was probably Chinese...?
"...You really don't watch the news, do you?"
"I barely watch domestic news, let alone foreign news..."
Beside him, Choi Sang-yun nudged Cain and scolded him.
"You search your own name every day, so why didn't you see this?"
"Ah, if you search Kim Tae-hyun's name, only weird articles show up."
Because reporters constantly forced Kim Tae-hyun's name into their headlines, he had stopped looking them up altogether.
"Anyway, your popularity in China is immense, so it's not strange to receive an offer like this."
"Who sent the proposal?"
"I checked, and it's a tournament hosted by a company established with investments from the Guild Alliance."
"...?!"
"It's a trap! A trap!"
"If you get on a plane, they'll steal your passport and force you to naturalize..."
"Actually, you don't have to fly there."
"What?"
"That's a bit..."
The players of Team KL were bewildered. Usually, why did they spend a fortune to bring in a star player? Wasn't it to have them physically attend the opening ceremony and satisfy the crowd?
To offer Tae-hyun an astronomical sum of money but tell him he didn't even need to show up in person. It was as futile as paying for an expensive buffet only to eat a single plate of salad and leave.
"They said you only need to attend within Pan-On."
"Why would they make such an offer?"
"...I don't quite understand this part either, but I suspect they're worried Player Tae-hyun won't attend at all if they don't make it as easy as possible..."
At Vincent's words, the players burst into laughter. Come on, how could that make sense!
"Pwahaha!"
"Who spends that much money to invite someone and worries about that!"
"...But it actually sounds plausible??"
After a good laugh, it actually made sense. If he had to fly, there was a 100% chance Tae-hyun would have declined!
"Wow. Those bastards. They must be really desperate."
"Instead, you'll record a congratulatory video, appear via video call, and as a 3D hologram."
"......"
"......"
The players wore expressions of utter disbelief. Seriously... do they have to go that far?? Who does Kim Tae-hyun think he is...!
"Can't they just find another player? Is everyone there just obsessed with Kim Tae-hyun?"
"Player Kim Tae-hyun is not a player who can be replaced."
Vincent spoke with a voice full of pride. As an agent, he couldn't help but feel proud when the player he represented was so outstanding.
"...W-We are also players playing alongside an irreplaceable player."
"That's pathetic, let's not say things like that."
Tae-hyun, who had been listening quietly, shrugged.
"Seeing how far they're going, the tournament rules must be incredibly disadvantageous to me. What is it? What kind of tournament?"
"Maybe a 1 vs 100?"
"Maybe they give Kim Tae-hyun a single dagger and tell him to hunt a dragon."
"Surprisingly, you're not participating as a player, but they're asking you to be a judge."
Vincent explained the tournament. Helping aspiring players debut as pros! Tae-hyun was bewildered by such a heartwarming purpose and concept.
Are the Guild Alliance bastards trying to wash their image before they completely go bankrupt?
Since he didn't know that Su Ning could secure massive investments just by having Tae-hyun appear, his only thought was: Has the Guild Alliance lost its mind?
"If that's the case, I'll think about it... but it's a bit strange. Is it really open to anyone in the world, regardless of nationality?"
"Yes. I confirmed it."
Tae-hyun was puzzled. If they gave away this much, what would they even have left?
"At the very least, since it's a tournament hosted by China, I thought they'd restrict it to Chinese players."
"Maybe they just said 'anyone in the world can participate!' without thinking and forgot about it?"
"Do you think they're like you? Don't talk nonsense."
"Before we leave, there's something I need to decide with you."
At Tae-hyun's serious tone, Lee Se-yeon flinched for a moment.
"W-What is it?"
"When should we raise the King of Erance as an undead?"
"......"
It was indeed a topic worthy of serious discussion. It was that important of an issue. But why did she feel so disappointed!
"...You're right. It's definitely a difficult task."
Raising the King's corpse as an undead was something even Lee Se-yeon was terrified of. Would we get some crazy title? It was an unprecedented, reckless realm that no one had ever dared to tread!
"And Kim Tae-hyun, I have one more concern."
"?"
"The King's level must be extremely high, and he probably has special skills. If I resurrect him as an undead, he might break free of my control."
"...!"
Indeed. Lee Se-yeon was the most outstanding Necromancer among the players, but compared to high-level NPCs, her level was still on the lower side. A powerful NPC, once raised as an undead, could reject control and act entirely on their own!
"That kind of thing definitely happens often."
"Right... Wait, often?!"
Lee Se-yeon was flustered. It definitely wasn't supposed to be a common occurrence!