Surprisingly, Everyone Thought Alike
Surprisingly, everyone thought alike. As the first mission neared its end, several judges came to the exact same realization at once. First of all, Tae-hyun clearly had an eye for talent. There was a saying that a great player couldn't make a great coach, but that didn't apply to him. After all, wasn't it Tae-hyun who had dragged Team KL by the scruff of their necks through their first season? Of course, some argued that it wasn't due to his leadership or Tactics, but rather because Tae-hyun had simply wiped out everyone on his own. Others shared that sentiment to some degree.
But hearing Tae-hyun speak now solidified their conviction. Kim Tae-hyun truly had an eye for talent! If Tae-hyun had no real desire to recruit players himself, forming an alliance with him beforehand didn't seem like a bad idea. In fact, it was an excellent choice. By borrowing Tae-hyun's judgment, they could receive various forms of assistance when choosing missions, and leveraging Tae-hyun's Reputation for promotion would make things much easier...
This is totally worth a shot.
"Excuse me, Player Kim Tae-hyun."
"?"
"By any chance, do you have any intention of promoting a gaming team or recruiting players?"
"Uh, what do you mean by that?"
"If so, how about helping me out a bit?"
"I'm not sure what there is to help with...?"
Tae-hyun was genuinely puzzled. If this were some kind of quest or survival program, he would understand, but why on earth was a judge asking another judge for help?
"Haha, there are plenty of ways. For starters, just having Player Kim Tae-hyun pick out players with that brilliant eye of yours and telling me would be a huge help."
Tae-hyun nodded. That actually made sense.
"And if we join forces when choosing missions, our chances of success will go up. When evaluating players, aligning our opinions will also give us an advantage. If we pick a player others undervalued and they hit the jackpot, our reputation in this industry will skyrocket."
Tae-hyun was truly the most relaxed person in the room. Everyone else was burning with passion, desperate to prove their capabilities as representatives of their gaming teams or professionals in the industry!
"If I help, what do I get?"
"Anything within my power!"
The man grew excited the moment Tae-hyun showed interest. Just getting him to pay attention was a massive win.
"You can use all of our gaming team's facilities, both inside and outside of Pan-On. Not only that, but if there are any items or equipment in our team's warehouse that you want, we'll gladly provide them. If you need help with a quest, we can even mobilize our reserve players to assist you!"
"Oh..."
Tae-hyun was surprised by the unexpectedly generous package. However, upon closer inspection, it wasn't actually that great. Above all, the other party was... the Osaka Dragons. A team widely considered one of the weakest in the league!
"First of all, your real-world facilities are in Japan, and since I have no reason to go there, that's pretty meaningless, isn't it?"
"...We have facilities inside Pan-On..."
"As for in-game facilities, I already have a kingdom, so..."
Guroda slumped. While the Osaka Dragons possessed their own guild houses and training dungeons, Tae-hyun literally owned an entire kingdom. Very few players in Pan-On could match that scale.
"And, well, I hope this isn't rude to say..."
"It's not rude at all. Please, speak freely."
"I heard that because your team doesn't get much investment, the quality of the items and equipment in your warehouse falls way behind other gaming teams..."
"...That is rude!"
Hit with the cold, hard truth, Guroda cried out in frustration. Although every word was true, hearing it laid bare like that was incredibly vexing.
"It's true we have poor results and don't get much attention, so we can't secure sponsorships, but still, isn't this a bit too harsh?!"
"I-I'm sorry."
Tae-hyun apologized, a rare occurrence for him. Seeing the planning team leader of a weak team break down like that left him with no choice but to bow his head.
"Anyway, the only useful thing left is helping me with my quests..."
Guroda flinched. In truth, that wasn't just beneficial to Tae-hyun. The quests Tae-hyun undertook were often rare, high-difficulty quests of Heroic or Legendary rank. Just participating in such quests would yield immense benefits. It was a win-win!
...Of course, Guroda had no idea how ruthlessly Tae-hyun exploited people.
"...And it's not like I can't just call on other people for that..."
"Ugh... A weak gaming team can't even recruit Player Kim Tae-hyun. This is so sorrowful."
"Hey, don't be like that. It's not like strong gaming teams can easily recruit me either."
While Guroda was talking, the other judges watched with gleaming eyes, waiting for their turn. They looked fully prepared to swoop in the moment the conversation ended.
If even the Osaka Dragons are making an offer, our proposal will look ten times better...
I'm glad the Osaka Dragons stepped up first. We'll look so much better by comparison.
Everyone was harboring thoughts that would have made Guroda grab them by the collar in a fit of rage had he heard them.
"Oh, oh, oh! A clear! We have a player who cleared it!"
"!"
The judges snapped their heads back. They had briefly taken their eyes off the screens while staring intently at Tae-hyun.
"...Wait, who is that player?"
"Yeah, who is that?"
The judges whispered among themselves. Although the players had made it through the fierce preliminaries, there were simply too many of them to remember every single name. On top of that, this player was wearing a mask. Who could it be?
"Player NotAnOrc! Incredible! He is the very first to pass among all the players here!"
Despite his username being NotAnOrc, his in-game race was actually an Orc. The judges searched to see if he was a player they had seen on broadcasts or community boards, but nothing came up. Was it an alias?
"Who is he, really?"
"I know, right? I have absolutely no clue..."
While the judges whispered, several more players began to pass. Thanks to Player NotAnOrc clearing the path ahead, the difficulty had decreased. The others just had to follow in his footsteps!
Tae-hyun was also pleasantly surprised to see so many people clearing it.
Well, I guess when this many people gather and try, they can actually get things done.
And here he thought they'd fail!
Many adventurers have cleared the 1st floor of the Training Tower.
The Training Tower awakens further!
The probability of NPCs related to the Ancient Empire appearing has increased.
As the person who resurrected the Training Tower, you may now pass the hidden trials.
"!"
Tae-hyun's eyes widened at the unexpected bonus. To think he could reap such benefits from someone else's tournament mission!
...Wait. Should I suggest hunting the 1st Prince of Erangse for the next mission?
This tournament was turning out to be a goldmine!
Fans from every nation dreamed of their representative team winning the World Cup. However, reality was always harsh. Even if they shouted, "Our goal is victory!" with their mouths, their minds inevitably set more realistic targets.
"Shouldn't we at least make it to the semifinals, or at least the quarterfinals?"
"I don't ask for much. Let's just make it to the Round of 16!"
While skill was crucial, advancing also required a fair share of luck. Furthermore, starting from the first round of the finals, thirty-two national teams would be divided into groups of four to battle it out, with only the top two teams from each group advancing. At this stage, which countries you drew determined whether you entered heaven or hell. Though there were thirty-two nations, the disparity in skill levels was astronomical.
When the time came, the Pan-On developers began revealing the rosters of each national team in real-time. While the lineups of less popular countries drew little attention, the announcement of the Korean national team's roster set the internet ablaze.
Generally, teams from Korea, the United States, China, and Europe were considered the powerhouses. Although Korea had previously fallen behind the US and China to the point where its title as the birthplace of esports felt like a distant memory, it had succeeded in making a spectacular comeback in Pan-On. Being grouped with such teams was pure hell. Since only two out of the four teams in a group could advance, the remaining two were guaranteed to be eliminated.
Fans from countless nations bickered noisily in their respective languages. At that moment, the next country was revealed.
Fans from almost every country except China erupted in cheers. We survived! We didn't get drawn!
Chinese fans were furious, but they didn't lose hope. After all, two out of the four teams would advance. Even if they lost to the Korean team in the first round of the finals, they could still move up. They just needed to secure second place in the group.
Most people sighed in pity. Even Canadian fans were practically weeping in despair. Not only Korea, but the Chinese national team also boasted formidable strength.
With that, the composition of Group A was complete: Korea, China, Canada, and Japan.
The Chinese fans quickly regained their spirits. They had been in despair when they were first grouped with Korea, but seeing the other two teams instantly revitalized them.
While the other groups were being announced, fans of the countries that got lucky draws bragged endlessly. China was the prime example! With their spot in the Round of 16 practically guaranteed and the prospect of avoiding the Korean team until much later, they couldn't help but be in high spirits. Meanwhile, fans of the countries that got unlucky draws could only gnash their teeth and hurl curses.
Japanese fans felt deeply sorrowful at the reactions of other countries' fans. No matter how weak they were, this was just too much...!