The Elegance of the Choice

The director marveled and continued. "If even this was calculated, then Kim Tae-hyun is truly incredible."

"Huh? What is?" Cain asked, his chest tightening.

Cain knew all about Nodranche's Training Tower. After all, he was the lord of this island! It was the island's sole (decent) attraction, and in fact, seventy to eighty percent of the new players visiting this island came specifically to clear that tower.

But even among them, those who seriously tried to clear it were rare. Most just wanted to record it for their streams. That was how high the difficulty was!

'If I do it, I'll just embarrass myself...!' Honestly, unless it was Kim Tae-hyun, there were very few people who wouldn't make a complete fool of themselves.

Everyone would be so full of anticipation...

Wouldn't he suffer ultimate humiliation in front of all the aspiring pros gathered here? And yet, this guy thought it was "incredible"?

"As you know, the program hosted by the Chinese side is a show with an astronomical budget, isn't it?"

Since Chinese investors had poured massive sums of money into it, advertisements and videos were being blasted not just in China, but all over the world. It wasn't for nothing that officials from American and European gaming organizations had attended! The promotional effect was gargantuan.

Yet Tae-hyun had casually created an opportunity to insert a Team KL player right into the middle of it. He had easily manufactured a chance that couldn't be bought with ten million gold.

"He's younger than me, but every time I look at Kim Tae-hyun, I can't help but respect him. Creating and running a gaming organization all by himself must be incredibly difficult."

The director glanced at Cain as he spoke. 'And on top of that, having to manage a player like this...'

"...Wait, why did you just glance at me like that?"

"Must be your imagination."

"Anyway, isn't this a truly wonderful opportunity?"

"No, it's only an opportunity if you can actually pull it off! The difficulty of that place is absolutely insane! If I go out there, I'll just embarrass myself!"

"Hmm. I hadn't thought of that."

"...Director..."

"Well, it's not my problem, so you'll have to figure it out, Cain... And it's not like you absolutely have to do well. Going out there and failing spectacularly is also a viable strategy..."

"Director?!"

The director was cold and professional. Not everyone could play the cool, heroic role. In a venue watched by so many people, there would be countless players lining up to say, "I'll do it!" even if it meant playing the clown or the laughingstock. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠He should be grateful!

"...I never said I'd do it..."

"When opportunity knocks, you take it."

'It must have been Kim Tae-hyun who submitted this, right?'

'No matter how much I think about it, it has to be Kim Tae-hyun...'

'As expected, only Kim Tae-hyun would do this.'

The other judges wore subtle expressions after hearing the explanation about Nodranche. There was a ninety percent chance Tae-hyun had submitted it! No matter how they looked at it, Tae-hyun was the only one who would have put this in. Everyone else would have chosen training grounds associated with their own gaming organizations...

"Everyone, what do you think of this first mission?"

"I don't know who submitted it, but it seems like a bit of a failure of a choice. To properly judge players, there must be combat. A dungeon where not even a single monster appears is just..."

Ames, the former head coach of the Boston Tigers, opened the discussion. True to his coaching background, he possessed a meticulous and demanding personality! McKinley nodded at his words. Seeing that, Ames thought, 'Heh. As expected, McKinley thinks so too.'

...But that was a delusion.

"I beg to differ," McKinley said. "It's not as if combat and monsters are the only ways to judge a player. In fact, boldly presenting such a novel dungeon feels even more impressive. Whoever submitted this must be a person of truly profound insight..."

McKinley cleared his throat with a series of 'Ahem, ahem' while casting subtle glances at Tae-hyun. It was practically a look of courtship! This wasn't just a pure broadcast. It was a marketing arena for each gaming organization to promote themselves, a place of fierce competition. If there was an opportunity in a place like this, one had to curry favor with Tae-hyun!

Ames, completely blindsided, let his jaw drop. 'I was too naive!'

"Y-you... McKinley, you bastard. If that's the case, why doesn't the New York Lions conduct this kind of training?"

"I am merely filled with regret that we haven't done so until now. Today, I have gained a new realization."

"You cheeky bastard, just spouting whatever nonsense comes out of your mouth!"

When Ames lunged to grab McKinley by the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠collar, McKinley used a skill to dodge. The host marveled at the bickering of the two middle-aged men. Wow, they're generating buzz all on their own!

The other judges, catching on after hearing McKinley's words, also cleared their throats repeatedly and chimed in.

"Indeed, there is a certain elegance to this choice..."

"I would love to praise whoever selected this..."

"..."

Ames, suddenly the only one who had voiced a dissenting opinion, became sullen. Those rotten bastards...!

Because he looked so pitiful, Tae-hyun, who was sitting next to him, offered some comfort. "Mr. Ames, I respect your opinion. Having combat or monsters is also very good."

"Kim Tae-hyun...!" Ames choked up. Is this the grace of a world-class player?!

"Ames, actually, I also respected your opin—"

"Shut your mouth."

"..."

"..."

Once the mission began, the judges had to struggle to maintain their composure. Heavy, solemn expressions! But inside, they were biting their lips.

'Damn it. This is hilarious...!'

'Even though I watched the video before coming, it's still funny!'

'Humor aside, this is a disaster. It's too hard to evaluate them.'

The judges frowned as they watched the players flailing about on the first floor of the Training Tower. There were no monsters, no combat. There were only rapidly flying obstacles and shifting terrain! The players had to dodge, deflect, block, and break through using nothing but their bare bodies. It was fun and interesting, but...

'Hmm. How are we supposed to evaluate this?'

"Player Siver's reflexes are quite decent. Look at how he rode the wooden stake flying from the side, grabbed the top, and vaulted over."

'Ah, so that's how you do it.'

'Indeed, if they do it like that...'

Even if they couldn't see any skills, they could focus on flashy plays like that and praise their control!

"Since Player Siver is currently in the lead, it looks like he might do we—"

Before the sentence could even finish, Siver collided with a stake and plummeted.

"..."

"..."

The embarrassed judges shut their mouths. The host looked at them with a flustered expression.

'What are these people doing?'

Shouldn't they be excitedly discussing which player they wanted to recruit and who had talent? If no one caught their eye, they could at least hype up the Chinese candidates...

"Everyone, won't you share your thoughts?"

"Ahem. I was so focused on the gameplay... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I was planning to give my feedback all at once after the mission ended..."

"Actually, I was thinking the exact same thing."

"They are trying so seriously, so we must give serious answers..."

'What on earth are these people doing after getting paid so much money...?'

Tae-hyun was the only one who actually opened his mouth. Since he was the only one among them who had cleared the first floor of the tower, he was naturally the most knowledgeable.

"I think Player Siver has good instincts. Fundamentally, this tower isn't about thinking with your head and running; you have no choice but to react to the incoming attacks while on the move. On top of that, there ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are shifting patterns..."

"You seem to know it very well, Player Kim Tae-hyun. Have you cleared this dungeon before?"

"I cleared the first floor, yes."

"...!"

"!"

Those who already knew Tae-hyun had cleared it weren't surprised, but those who didn't were shocked. Wait, he cleared that?

'How on earth did he clear it?'

'Is there a special method?'

"Th-that is amazing. So it was actually a clearable dungeon? How do you clear it? Is there a special trick?"

"There isn't really any special trick other than just running and dodging the obstacles..."

"..."

"..."

The surrounding judges wanted to say something but held back. That was... completely meaningless advice! Even telling someone to "just study hard and review your school subjects" would have more nutritional value than that.

"In any case, the ability to react and deflect things as you see them flying toward you is absolutely essential. How much you can achieve through raw control without relying on skills is the core of this dungeon."

Hearing Tae-hyun's words, the judges nodded their heads in spite of themselves. They had thought Kim Tae-hyun brought them here just to screw with the Chinese, but his explanation was surprisingly plausible.

'He's absolutely right.'

'Skills, levels, and classes are important, but in the end, control is the core.'

It was easy to forget, but Pan-On was a game where players moved directly. Control was more important than anything. Even with the same level, same class, and same skills, if there was a gap in control, it was impossible to catch up! This was especially true in situations like leagues or tournaments where stat differences were somewhat normalized.

Tae-hyun pointed out whether a player's control was good or bad based on how they dodged or deflected obstacles flying from above, below, and the sides. The other judges, seemingly convinced by his words, nodded and offered various opinions of their own. The awkward atmosphere vanished, replaced by a surprisingly professional-looking broadcast.

'Phew. At least they're not just sitting there silently after getting paid.'

If they had kept their mouths shut, the host would have had to force them to say something. Having regained his composure, the host casually asked:

"What do you think of Player Gu Teng-hao?"

He was a fairly famous player in China. Although he hadn't been officially selected as a pro yet, he was highly popular among Chinese fans. The host hoped Tae-hyun would give him a favorable evaluation. If he just said the word, the media would blow it up on their own.

Of course, if Kim Tae-hyun actually saw them, he would be furious enough to grab the reporters by the collar, but how would he ever read Chinese articles anyway?

"Uh, who is that?"

"...That player over there."

"I don't see him?"

"Ah. He just fell..."

"..."

An awkward silence filled the air. Tae-hyun pretended not to hear.

Listening to Tae-hyun speak, the other judges suddenly had a thought.

'But this mission doesn't seem like it will last long, and since they probably won't clear it, they'll just select whoever went the furthest...'

'Does Kim Tae-hyun have no ambition?'

It was almost certain that Tae-hyun had chosen this dungeon, but for someone who had, he seemed remarkably lacking in greed. Anyone else would have worked tirelessly to promote their gaming organization or showcase their own abilities as a judge. Discovering a player whom everyone else had written off was immense publicity in itself! And how much would that touching story benefit their team?

Yet Tae-hyun wasn't promoting his own team at all, and he had chosen a dungeon where the results were incredibly straightforward... Even a layman could tell. The one who went the furthest was the best.

'Maybe Team KL has no intention of recruiting anyone from here...?'

'With Kim Tae-hyun's personality, that's highly likely. What kind of player would satisfy him anyway?'

'...Wait. In that case, shouldn't we join hands with Kim Tae-hyun?'