A Shameless Proposal
It was only natural for Tae-hyun to be suspicious. Who in their right mind would pay money just to have a special exhibition match added to a tournament? The representative sent by the Chinese esports organization practically had to roll on the floor to convince him.
"Look here! I even brought the official documents, fully signed! Just say the word, and we can transfer the funds immediately!"
"...Wait. This is actually real? What's the catch?"
"To be honest, the person who sent me has dreamed of a racing event being held on Sky Island his entire life. He was so devastated to hear that player Kim Tae-hyun wouldn't be participating... *sniffle*."
The representative wiped away his tears and spun a long, dramatic tale. He claimed to have been a racing game fanatic since the days of Kart Racer, crying tears of sorrow when those games eventually died out!
...Of course, the actual story was quite far from that.
Indeed. It wasn't some eccentric billionaire; the players themselves had begged their organization. They wanted to convince Kim Tae-hyun to host a special match just once, by any means necessary!
— "Please trust us! If you set it up, we will absolutely repay you with results! Honestly, don't you want to see it too, sir? Think of how proud the higher-ups will be!"
Defeating Kim Tae-hyun would lead to massive promotion in the Chinese media, which would get them summoned and praised by the executives, which would lead to promotions!
— "That might be true, but wrong is wrong!"
The General Manager almost wavered for a moment, but he quickly snapped back to his senses. No matter how tempting it sounded, handing a pile of cash to that bastard Kim Tae-hyun just to open a special match made his stomach churn with jealousy.
— "The Chengdu Bears are doing it too! The Hangzhou Wyverns players are here as well, so what if we team up with them and split the cost?"
— "Are these lunatics out of their minds? They should be focusing on doing well in the Pan-On League! Why are they putting their lives on the line for this?!"
— "..."
The General Manager's words hit the nail on the head. They should have been performing well in the actual tournament, but instead of doing that, they were risking everything on an exhibition match...
But in the end, the General Manager gave in. The fact that players from multiple organizations were banding together shook him. If they backed out now, their team would be the only one left behind.
— "Fine. I'll back you, so make sure you get it done!"
"Hmm. Looking at this list, they're Chinese, so they must be from a Chinese esports organization."
"From what I heard earlier, that person was talking to a Chinese pro player," Lee Da-bi added.
"Then it's almost certain. He must be an employee."
"Why would someone like that tell such a lie?"
Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi had already figured it out. Half-baked tricks didn't work on these two, who possessed god-tier intuition.
"Could it be because I'm not participating?"
"If you're not participating, shouldn't they be clapping and cheering? Why are they begging you to join?"
"...Surely they wouldn't go as far as clapping and cheering?"
"Actually, when the news of your absence spread earlier, the Chinese players were literally rolling on the floor with joy."
"..."
Tae-hyun shook his head at the state of the players, which was far worse than he had imagined.
"Ordinary players might be glad to avoid me, but the Chinese pros must be dying to beat me. Besides, this race is much easier to win than other events."
It was a race with so many variables that even Tae-hyun couldn't guarantee a win every time. Such a match was bound to be tempting. And for the Chinese players, the title of "The Ones Who Beat Kim Tae-hyun" was likely far more alluring than winning the actual tournament.
"That makes sense. I should reject them immediately."
"Huh? Why?"
"Pardon? They're trying to use you to get a free ride, aren't they?"
"Even if I lose, anyone sane wouldn't think I lost because I'm bad, right?"
Except for the Chinese media, every other media outlet would just treat it as, 'That was a fun exhibition match! ^^'
Of course, the Chinese media would write headlines like: Proud Sons of China! Overthrowing the Arch-Villain, Kim Tae-hyun! But Tae-hyun didn't care. As long as the money flowed into his pockets, they could do whatever they wanted in China. He could tolerate that much.
"But I don't like them using you like that..."
"Doesn't this amount of money change your mind?"
"No, it doesn't."
When Lee Da-bi rejected his joke with a deadpan expression, Tae-hyun became slightly dejected.
"Sorry..."
"Ah, no. It's not something you need to apologize for."
Lee Da-bi changed her mind. Honestly, Tae-hyun wasn't wrong. She was just bothered by the fact that they were exploiting him. If it had been Power Warrior Guild Member A, she would have immediately said, "Do it!"
"But who should we have participate in the special match?"
"How about we hold a popularity vote for the players who were unfortunately eliminated but put on a great show or had high expectations, and pick the remaining seven that way?"
"Yeah, that should work."
"Did you hear? They're holding a special match."
"...!"
The Chinese players exchanged glances. To think such an unexpected opportunity would present itself. The problem was...
I don't care about the others, but I absolutely have to be the one to go out.
The other bastards need to step aside so I can play.
Unlike the regular matches, the special match required a popularity vote to enter. No matter how much the Chinese fans voted, the limit would be two or three players at most!
"Hmph. Obviously, I should go. I have the best record here, don't I?"
"Since when is this based on records? It's a popularity vote!"
"Do you really think you'll get in on a popularity vote?"
"Is there anyone here as popular as me, Penguin Panda?"
"Popular? Don't make me laugh. Do you know there's a guild dedicated to hunting down anyone with 'Penguin' or 'Panda' in their username ever since you ruined the World Cup?"
The players bickered. Their serious, cooperative attitude from moments ago had vanished entirely.
Hmph. I just need to grab their attention with my skills.
Trash bastards who don't know the meaning of compromise.
Since it had come to this, they had no choice but to rally their own fans.
"Fans of the Beijing Fighters! Please cast your vote for me during the popularity poll!"
"Penguin Panda! Penguin Panda!"
"What? Penguin Panda? The same Penguin Panda who got eliminated from the World Cup?!"
"How dare this shameless bastard ask for votes!"
Of course, it wasn't an easy process. In Penguin Panda's case, he was immediately bombarded with curses from resentful Chinese fans.
"Penguin Panda! We support you!"
"I'll give you a vote!"
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone...?"
As he spoke, Penguin Panda felt something was off.
"..."
Surprisingly, those weren't Chinese fans, but Canadian fans.
"Penguin Panda!!"
"...Go away!!"
"Wow. Look at his attitude. Is a player allowed to treat his fans like this?"
While everyone was busy preparing for the special match, there were players grinding their teeth.
"Stupid fools. No wonder they lose to me!"
KingTaehyunNo1 snorted as he watched the Chinese players. Why were they wasting time on such foolishness when they should be analyzing other players' styles and devising strategies?
"Your personality seems to have changed."
"After fighting so much in the league, of course my personality would change. I will definitely make it to the top."
"Arrogant talk."
Gomez of the New York Lions sneered at KingTaehyunNo1. It was a ridiculous nickname, but his skills were nothing to laugh at. He had risen to become the dark horse of this tournament in an instant!
His ability to adapt on the fly to engineering mounts made him look like Kim Tae-hyun's successor. Even his name was annoyingly similar...
But Gomez had absolutely no intention of losing. As a top-tier ranker, KingTaehyunNo1 was merely a second-rate ranker to her. Losing to such a ranker was a matter of pride.
Whoosh—
The Ice Phoenix she rode was an extremely rare mount obtained after clearing an immense number of quests in the volcanic region. She wouldn't lose to some crude rocket.
"But..."
"What about that one..."
"Who the hell is that?"
The participating players whispered, casting their gazes toward one player.
A player participating with the Power Warrior guild tag as their username! Their face was covered, so no one knew who they were, but one thing was certain. This player's skill in riding engineering mounts was no joke. If they crossed paths, it could be dangerous.
"Do you want to exchange information if you have any?"
"...No."
"Judging by your face, you don't know either. The Power Warrior Guild really has a lot of bizarre characters."
"..."
The players' pride was slightly wounded. They could accept losing to other famous players here. They were fellow rankers, after all. But losing to an unknown player like that...
Who the hell is that guy? Why is his playstyle so unpredictable?
It seems to change every single match.
"...I've got it!" Tae-hyun slapped his knee and shouted.
"Pardon?"
"I know who that is!"
He had finally realized the identity of the Power Warrior player.
"Who is it?"
"The Mechanical Engineering Blacksmiths and the Power Warrior guild members are taking turns riding it."
"...What???"
"I thought it was weird how the style kept changing every time, but these bastards are taking turns."
Tae-hyun's observational skills were almost terrifying. To notice such a subtle shift in style from this distance.
"...I'll go drag them here right now."
The Power Warrior player(s) summoned before Tae-hyun hung their heads low.
"We're sorry."
"Why on earth did you do that? It wouldn't even help much."
"Well, the mount was so expensive that we all chipped in to buy it, so we're taking turns riding it..."
"..."
"..."
Tae-hyun was left speechless by this unexpectedly pitiful explanation. Lee Da-bi's face flushed bright red with embarrassment. For once, she felt truly ashamed to be the Guild Master of Power Warrior.
"...Fine. I'll pretend I didn't see anything, so do your best. If you get caught, I don't know you."
"Thank you so much!!!"
After they left, Tae-hyun sighed.
"Sorry. I just couldn't bring myself to tell them to stop."
"...I understand. Me too."
The remaining matches progressed, and the finalists were decided one by one. Gomez made it, KingTaehyunNo1 made it, and two Chinese players made it. The Power Warriors barely squeezed in as well. The rest were new faces, but all of them were rankers.
This is going to be exciting. I wonder who will win.
Just before the finals, public interest was not just hot—it was on the verge of exploding.
...However, the finals could not begin immediately.
"How dare this bastard try to eliminate me!"
"Cut the crap! Why would I ever care about someone like you!"
"It's a fight!!"
The eliminated Chinese players had gotten into an argument with the qualified Chinese players, and a PvP brawl had broken out.
"W-What should we do!?"
The staff, who never expected the participants to start fighting, looked at Tae-hyun in a panic. It was an entirely unforeseen situation.
"Well... does it really matter?"
"Pardon??"
"Everyone's having fun."
Indeed, the spectators in the stands were thoroughly enjoying themselves. To witness a blood-pumping fight right after an exciting race—it was the ultimate package deal.
"B-But we can't just leave them be, can we?"
"Yeah. I'm going to go kill them."
With those words, Tae-hyun drew his weapon. He appreciated them generating hype, but rules were rules.