The Undefeated Boy and the Labyrinth of Uncles

No matter how perfect a virtual reality game Pandemonium Online was—designed for everyone to enjoy regardless of age or gender—the spotlight still belonged mostly to the youth. Sharp, fast-spinning brains. Razor-honed reflexes. In any sport, age was never an advantage. But such cold, hard facts meant nothing to a middle-aged man with a burning heart. Ju Bong-sik was exactly that kind of man.

"I... I've always wanted to be a pro player."

"..."

"Even back during Fantasy Craft, I wanted to go pro. I just couldn't because I had to fulfill my duties as the breadwinner of the family..."

"Come on, Bong-sik. Let's keep it real. The reason you didn't go pro in Fantasy Craft was because you were absolute trash at it."

"You got knocked out in the qualifiers of a local PC cafe tournament. How on earth were you going to go pro?"

"You should be thanking Pan-On, you punk. You can only pull off what you do now because you're moving your actual body. If you had to use a mouse, you wouldn't even have been able to try."

His close friends delivered a heavy, truth-laden blow straight to his solar plexus, but Ju Bong-sik ignored them.

"My friends! It's not like there are no middle-aged pro players in Pan-On!"

In truth, there were a few middle-aged players even in the 2nd Division. They were veterans who made up for their declining reflexes with top-tier gear and brilliant experience. Of course, those players had been incredibly skilled in their youth as well...

But Bong-sik was terrible even when he was young.

It was a different game, sure, but he was still shockingly bad.

"Watching this broadcast made me realize something. Ah, look at how other people are challenging themselves without letting age get in the way..."

Chairman Yoo had initially wondered, Has the president of LK finally lost his mind? But the project ambitiously launched by LK Galaxy had turned out to be quite a hit. It was a show that gathered middle-aged and older players interested in becoming Pan-On pros, trained them, and debuted them as actual players! It was similar to the Pan-On All-Star Super Player audition, but it set itself apart by drawing fierce support from a dedicated middle-aged fanbase.

And that broadcast had set Ju Bong-sik's heart ablaze.

Me too...! I want to be a pro player too!

In the midst of all this, the current event seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Yeah, Bong-sik. We're cheering for you. So what if... you're old and lack skill?"

"Why do you have to add the part about lacking skill..."

"He's right. We have to support our Bong-sik."

The middle-aged men nodded, reflecting on their harsh words. Just challenging oneself at this age was impressive enough. If his friends didn't cheer for him, who would? Even if he was old and lacked skill, they had to support him!

"So you're saying we have to clear this dungeon?"

"Those damn judges are seriously wicked. Look at them throwing out crazy demands just because they aren't the ones who have to clear it. Shouldn't the judges be forced to go in too? It's not like they're going to compensate us for the death penalty if we die. Isn't this... what do you call it? Passion pay?"

"One of the judges is Tae-hyun, you know."

"...Well, that kid Tae-hyun has always been quite a character since he was little."

The older men whispered among themselves, recalling Tae-hyun's childhood. The undefeated boy who would never lose a bet against any of the neighborhood uncles who visited his house! Because of his ruthless determination to win by any means necessary, they used to wonder what he would grow up to be—and now, he was making a massive name for himself in esports.

"Wait. Then can't we just ask Tae-hyun for a favor?"

"That would go against fairness."

"Fairness, my foot... Have you seen the other contestants? They're using their handsome faces to gather fans and manipulate public opinion to get recommended! How is Bong-sik supposed to beat those fresh, good-looking young punks!"

"..."

Ju Bong-sik silently cursed his friends. It was a bizarre phenomenon where they were cheering for him, yet somehow draining every ounce of his energy!

"Well, gathering popularity is a skill too. Let's at least do our part to support Bong-sik."

"I've been posting on the community boards too, but the response has been pretty lukewarm."

"I don't need popularity votes from fans. I will prove myself with raw skill!"

"But your skill is also..."

"Drop it, man."

"Anyway, we just need to go to the dungeon together, right? Sigh. Alright, let's give it a shot."

The Orc Ahjussis finished their preparations and stared at the dungeon. Looking at it now, their hearts fluttered with a long-forgotten excitement. The pride of attempting to conquer a dungeon that most players had given up on! It felt as if they had traveled back to their youth.

"...Honestly, it's a bit thrilling. Isn't it?"

"I feel the same way."

People were flocking to the guild's live broadcast like crazy. It was all because of the rumor that they were going to tackle this dungeon. The moment they stepped inside, the viewer count was bound to multiply.

"But Guild Leader, are you going to keep the stream on? It might give hints to other players."

"Of course I'm turning it off."

Viewers from all over the world pleaded, tempting them with donations if they kept it on, but Kim Tae-san didn't care. I don't need your money, you punks!

"Well, obviously because it's best to rack up views when you can. It promotes the guild too."

Kim Tae-san had long since fully adapted to Pan-On. Toying with people for the sake of guild promotion was child's play to him now.

"Well then, viewers, please show our guild some love. If you join our guild, we might give you information on this dungeon... or we might not..."

"...Your father is quite a lively man!" Ryu Tae-su managed to squeeze out.

Tae-hyun wore a deeply conflicted expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Seeing my dad baiting people like that just to rack up views... it leaves a complicated taste in my mouth..."

"..."

"..."

The people around him were at a loss for words. They had no idea how to comfort him.

"Tae-hyun, I bait people like that too," Lee Da-bi chimed in.

"Ah, well, you're fine, Da-bi. It's just... seeing my own father do it makes me feel weird."

If Kim Tae-san had heard this, he would have lamented raising such an ungrateful son, but fortunately, he wasn't there.

"Hmm... I should ask him for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the footage."

"Do you think you can get it?" Lee Se-yeon asked with concern.

Of course, if they could obtain the dungeon clear footage, nothing would be better. However, footage of such a high-difficulty dungeon was incredibly valuable. Would he really hand it over so easily?

...Wait, aren't they family?

It's a family matter, though...?

Ryu Tae-su and Ryu Da-young silently questioned the situation. What kind of family dynamic operated under the assumption that a father might refuse his own son?

"Well, I suppose there's a chance he might not give it to me. I'll ask anyway."

Are they on bad terms with their family?

"Of course I can give it to you, son."

"Oh... what do you want in return?"

"...Did it never cross your mind that I might just give it to you for free?"

"Nope, not even for a second. So, what do you need?"

"Just do me one tiny favor."

"?"

"...Come into the labyrinth and rescue us."

"!"

Tae-hyun instantly realized what had happened. They got trapped inside the dungeon!

Unlike the other parties that had either been wiped out or quickly retreated from the entrance, the Orc Ahjussis had bravely marched deep inside. But then, their retreat path had been cut off, leaving them completely trapped. Yet, they refused to die and take the penalty.

"I... I see."

"Don't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing. Anyway, once we head inside, I'll do my best."

"Alright, thanks. Bong-sik will be thrilled too."

"Why would Uncle Bong-sik be thrilled?"

"Oh, no reason. Just saying."

While Kim Tae-san and the Orc Ahjussis garnered a fair share of attention, the Expedition led by Tae-hyun was on an entirely different level. First of all, its scale was transcendent. Legions of paladins and priests from various holy orders! The notorious Archisus Artillery from the Valley! On top of that, top-tier rankers centered around the Korean National Team players. Every single element was so spectacular that it was hard to pinpoint what was the most impressive.

The world could not tear their eyes away from the majestic march of the Expedition. Among the participants, Lee Da-bi streamed on her Power Warrior account, while the rankers from Lee Se-yeon's guild streamed on their personal accounts. Every single stream was packed to the absolute limit, on the verge of crashing.

"Ugh... Blech..."

Jackal dry-heaved from sheer anxiety. He couldn't believe he was part of such a lineup. It felt like a local Sunday league player suddenly being thrown onto the pitch with the world's greatest football stars. Instead of joy, the crushing pressure made him feel like he was going to die. How on earth did I end up here?

...I should stop looking at the stream chat.

Jackal averted his eyes. His stream, which usually had a modest audience, was now bursting at the seams. Consequently, half of the comments dismissed Jackal as a total fraud, while the other half were outright insults. A tiny minority tried to defend him, but even their defense was along the lines of, "We know he's a fraud, but don't insult him!"

I didn't want to come here either!

"Ready?"

"Yes."

Tae-hyun nodded at Lee Se-yeon's reply. They had made every possible preparation. All that was left was the actual raid.

It's been a while since I felt like I was clearing a real dungeon.

It had been similar in Pan-On 1. The tension of entering a dungeon no one had ever cleared. The doubt of whether they could do it, coupled with the duty that they must. Although the number of onlookers had multiplied by hundreds of thousands, nothing had truly changed.

"Alright. Let's go!"

Occasionally, raid parties chose to keep their dungeon clears private. While they missed out on immediate, massive public attention, they could monopolize the information for their own benefit. Furthermore, they could release the footage later to garner even more hype. However, since interest could easily die down in the meantime, the established consensus was usually to broadcast it live...

But Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon, who were nothing if not brimming with absolute confidence, had simply made their decision.

"It's not like we lack recognition even if we don't stream it live anyway."

"True. Everyone in the world already knows we're clearing it."

"Let's keep it private, then release it later when the time is right."

"That doesn't sound bad. Plus, there's no need to give free information to other rankers."

...Of course, the viewers watching were on the verge of losing their minds.