The Kane Operation
Lee Se-yeon stared intently at Tae-hyun as she spoke. After all, standing right in front of her was a man who had lost a 1v1 match despite having near-certain odds of winning.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
"Still, it's a relief we prepared for a scenario where you'd have to sit out, Se-yeon."
Fundamentally, the scenario the Korean national team had practiced the most was when Tae-hyun got banned. If Tae-hyun were banned, which substitute would be the best fit? Should they bring in an unconventional damage dealer like Great Axe Warrior, a stable damage dealer, or add another tank to shift their formation? Being able to adapt flexibly to these situations was one of the hallmarks of a truly strong team.
...Of course, there was Team KL, which had pushed forward with brute force using a single, stubborn strategy without any of that tactical flexibility, but they were a complete anomaly!
"Who do you want to sub in?"
"Hmm... Since they don't seem likely to swap out that curse mage, a ranged damage dealer would be best. A mage with wide-area skills, preferably."
"Ye-ji would be perfect."
Chu Ye-ji. As one of the substitutes for the Korean national team, she was a reasonably well-known Mage ranker. Her greatest strength was her arsenal of highly effective area-of-effect (AoE) spells. Sharing the same base class, she was also close friends with Lee Se-yeon.
"Right. Player Chu Ye-ji should do nicely. We're counting on you."
"I-I'll do my absolute best!"
Chu Ye-ji froze up when the spotlight suddenly shifted to her. As a substitute, she hadn't been particularly nervous, but she never imagined she would actually be sent onto the field. What if I ruin everything? There was nothing more pressuring than making a mistake while surrounded by such legendary players. If they lost, wouldn't the blame fall entirely on her shoulders?
"Please, calm down."
Sensing her anxiety, Lee Da-bi offered some comforting words. "No one is going to blame you, Player Chu Ye-ji. I'm lacking in many ways myself, but I'm doing my best. Being selected to play means you possess the exact skills the team needs right now."
"Well said, Da-bi. And Player Chu Ye-ji, even if you do make a mistake, that's the fault of the person who drafted you, not yours. Everyone makes mistakes. We chose you knowing that and accounting for it."
"...Are you insulting me right now?" Lee Se-yeon asked, her voice laced with bewilderment.
"Ah. Does it sound like that? No, I meant both of us. We chose her together, didn't we?"
"Sorry for misunderstanding."
"Though, to be fair, I do feel like you bear a slightly larger share of the responsibility."
"Do you want to die?"
I knew it... Chu Ye-ji was amazed to hear that the two of them had made the selection. At first glance, the idea of active players having drafting authority seemed absurd, but common sense did not apply to the Korean national team. In fact, the head coach focused primarily on administrative management and health checks, leaving almost all tactical freedom and roster decisions to the players themselves. It was a testament to their absolute trust in Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon—and both players had thoroughly earned that right.
"Alright, let's give it a shot. Player Chu Ye-ji, that AoE spell you used last time looked pretty decent. How many times can you cast it?"
"I can cast it five times."
"Five times? Wow, that's way better than Se-yeon. Se-yeon takes forever just to summon her undead..."
"..."
Lee Se-yeon glared at the back of Tae-hyun's head as he walked ahead, chatting amiably with Chu Ye-ji. He really just says whatever comes to his mind...
"Da-bi. I think Player Chu Ye-ji is extremely nervous."
"Yes. I thought so too."
"So, what we need to do in this round is... the Kane Operation."
"???"
Ryu Da-young, who was listening nearby, looked utterly baffled. The Kane Operation? What on earth is that?
Lee Da-bi, however, understood instantly. "Ah. That strategy."
"...?"
Ryu Da-young found it a bit strange that Tae-hyun and Da-bi had prepared a strategy without telling the other players, but she kept quiet. She figured that since the two of them were behind it, they must have a good reason.
The Kane Operation. In short, it meant treating a teammate as if they were Kane. ...Meaning, they had to babysit and protect her with absolute focus so they could cover for her even if she made a mistake!
"Player Kim Tae-hyun. Wouldn't it have been better to ban that curse mage anyway?"
"No, I think it's better to leave him in. Honestly, I'm grateful he's playing."
Tae-hyun genuinely preferred having Song Yimou on the field. Of course, if Tae-hyun wanted to pull off some flashy, heroic superplays, it would be better if the curse mage weren't there, but Tae-hyun didn't need to make any superplays. He just needed to win.
"I think banning their healer is a much better move. Their healer is incredibly skilled."
The synergy between the Chinese national team's healer and tank was formidable. Even though they had lost the first round, their tank had managed to hold the line until the very end. Considering how much damage they had absorbed, the tank was impressive, but the healer's capabilities were clearly top-tier. Forcing them to swap to a substitute healer would significantly degrade their overall performance.
"AoE spell as soon as they enter my line of sight. AoE spell as soon as they enter my line of sight. AoE spell as soon as they enter my line of sight..."
Chu Ye-ji muttered to herself. Even though she was a high-level ranker, this was her first time playing in a match watched by millions of people worldwide. If she didn't constantly remind herself of her role, she felt like she would freeze up and forget everything.
"Player Chu Ye-ji. When the enemy approaches, just do exactly what we practiced. Got it?"
"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah."
"Player Chu Ye-ji, don't be too nervous. Even if your spells miss, the rest of us will cover for you."
"But... won't the fans want to kill me if I mess up?"
Lee Da-bi didn't flinch at Chu Ye-ji's anxious question. Treating her like Kane made managing her anxiety incredibly easy.
"Not at all. We've already secured our spot in the Round of 16 anyway, so why would anyone flame you over a minor mistake?"
Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi took turns soothing Chu Ye-ji. Having honed their babysitting skills on Kane, they could restore sanity to even the most panicked soul. As she listened to them, a surge of confidence she didn't know she possessed began to swell within her.
"I can do this! Yes!"
"That's the spirit, Player Chu Ye-ji!"
"Exactly!"
"And we have a substitution for the Korean national team! Lee Se-yeon is stepping out, and Chu Ye-ji is stepping in. What can you tell us about Player Chu Ye-ji?"
"She is a highly capable Mage. Looking at her records, wide-area magic is her specialty. I suspect they brought her in specifically to leverage that strength, especially since Lee Se-yeon's absence will leave a significant void."
Necromancers were rarely seen in the Arena. Naturally, a class that required extensive preparation was at a disadvantage in fast-paced arena matches. However, Necromancers possessed unique advantages that other classes lacked. With Lee Se-yeon—who was a master of utilizing those advantages—sitting out, the team's overall power was bound to take a hit.
"I'm curious to see if Player Kim Tae-hyun will stick to a stable, macro-oriented playstyle in the second round. To be honest, and I say this with some caution, I was really hoping to see some of his signature superplays."
"Haha, isn't everyone gathered here hoping for the exact same thing?"
"Eliminated! Eliminated! Eliminated!"
"Eliminated! Eliminated! Eliminated!"
"...Ah, hearing everyone chanting together like that, it seems we are all on the same page!"
The commentator smoothly ignored the fact that the crowd was actually chanting for the Chinese team's elimination from the group stages. It was a truly professional display of broadcasting etiquette.
"But personally, I was deeply impressed."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"A game cannot remain stagnant forever, can it? Tactics constantly evolve over time. If a player fails to adapt, even the most talented individual will quickly be left behind. From that perspective, I found Kim Tae-hyun's play today to be incredibly flexible. After seeing this, who could possibly claim that Kim Tae-hyun is incapable of team play?"
Naturally, when a person seemed to have no weaknesses, people would desperately try to scratch up some flaws. After Tae-hyun's overwhelming victory in the first season of the league, rival fans who had suffered at his hands did everything they could to manufacture a weakness.
To be fair, Tae-hyun's playstyle in the first season had been largely identical in every match. He would charge into the enemy lines alone, disrupt their formation, secure at least one kill, and then escape. It was a high-risk, high-reward approach that relied entirely on his overwhelming mechanical control and physical reflexes. While this showcased Tae-hyun's sheer skill, it was also born out of concern for the other members of Team KL. If they engaged in a straightforward head-on clash, they would be at a severe disadvantage. The fact that Tae-hyun had to pull off so many superplays was proof that his team's situation demanded them.
...While there had been plenty of such chatter, today's match completely crushed those arguments. It would be hard to find a more flawless display of stable, coordinated team play.
"And the match begins! With their primary healer banned, the Chinese national team has brought in their substitute healer."
"Their skill level isn't bad, but they are making minor mistakes. The buff spell they are casting right now... considering the situation, wouldn't it have been better to apply physical defense instead?"
"The Chinese national team has begun moving, escorting the payload!"
The victory condition for the second round was Payload Escort. One side had to defend and escort the payload to the target destination, while the other side had to stop them.
"The Chinese players are not maintaining the same tight formation as before. It looks quite loose, doesn't it?"
"I suspect it's because they suffered heavy losses earlier when Player Kim Tae-hyun didn't counterattack. Since they are down on the scoreboard, they are likely trying to play more aggressively."
Why is that crazy bastard Kim Tae-hyun suddenly playing like a sane person?
No matter what he does, I hate him!
The Chinese players cursed under their breath as they escorted the payload. Looking back at the end of the first round, the defeat felt incredibly hollow. They hadn't even died, yet they had lost. When they analyzed where things had gone wrong, they realized they had been far too conscious of Tae-hyun. They had suffered massive losses simply by trying to prepare for his inevitable infiltration. Therefore, they changed their formation for the second round. While they still set traps in case Tae-hyun broke in, they didn't maintain an overly rigid defensive line.
We don't need to instantly kill him anyway. Just binding his feet and forcing him to retreat is enough.
If we can just keep Kim Tae-hyun out of the fight...
Perhaps this looser formation would serve as bait to lure him in? The players advanced with that hope in mind.
...Of course, Tae-hyun had absolutely no intention of attempting a solo infiltration in this game.
"Let's go! Time to break their tank!"
As Tae-hyun charged forward, the opposing tank looked like he was about to cry. That crazy bastard is here again!
Thud! Rumble!
A head-on clash erupted as both sides poured their firepower into the opposing tanks. The situation unfolded similarly to the first round. However, the Chinese tank began to falter much faster this time. The change in healers had caused their skill rotations to fall out of sync.
"Heal the tank! Heal the tank!!"
"Don't heal us, heal the tank!"
"U-Uh, wait!"
Naturally, Tae-hyun wasn't about to let such chaos go to waste. Being the first to notice the opening, he signaled the team.
"Player Chu Ye-ji!"
"I see it! I see it!"
"Alright, let's go!"
Tae-hyun began to push forward alongside Ryu Da-young. With the opposing tank pushed back, he fiercely traded blows with one of the enemy damage dealers.
"Now!"
At Tae-hyun's signal, Chu Ye-ji immediately unleashed her wide-area spell. The enemy damage dealer, who never expected an AoE spell to be dropped while Tae-hyun was fighting so close they could practically feel each other's breath, gasped in shock.
"!? !?"
Wait, isn't this friendly f—
BOOOOOOM!