The Equalizer and the Explosives

The person on the other end of the line was Cha Su-han, a junior PD at the station who had been making waves lately. Thanks to his fresh, innovative ideas, he had left a strong impression on Bae Jang-wook.

"Senior!"

"Oh, Su-han. What's going on?"

"I just came up with an absolutely brilliant concept!"

"...Congratulations?"

"No, it's not that. I need your help, Senior."

Bae Jang-wook tilted his head. He needs my help? Cha Su-han was more than capable of handling his own affairs.

"What do you need?"

"The famous players in Pan-On. You're close with them, aren't you, Senior?"

Bae Jang-wook was highly renowned for his ability to manage players for game broadcasts. His knack for recruiting top-tier players and bringing them onto his shows was legendary! He hadn't become MBS's star PD for nothing. Though he had tripped over his own feet and embarrassed himself in front of Tae-hyun...

"I suppose so."

"Please help me cast them. I have a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"A pro-gamer league! The Arena is one of the most popular pieces of content in Pan-On, right? I want to create pro-gamer teams made up of Pan-On players, just like the pro leagues of other games in the past."

"In Pan-On? But hasn't that already been tried?"

This wouldn't be a massive guild made up of a few famous players and a crowd of average ones, but a pro-gamer team consisting of a small, elite group of players. A roster of five to ten players, sponsored by corporations, competing in tournaments to win championships and glory! The only difference was that the tournament wouldn't be in another game, but in Pan-On's Arena.

The problem was that this had already been done before. Back in Pan-On 1, teams had been formed specifically to target the Arena, and several tournaments had been held. However, they surprisingly failed to gain traction. There was only one reason: balance!

"People loved it at first, but unlike leagues in other games, it's impossible to balance something like Pan-On. If there's a level gap, the match becomes completely one-sided."

Exactly. Unlike other games where players fought under relatively equal conditions, Pan-On was a game where you fought using the stats and gear of the character you had personally raised. Character performance was bound to dictate the outcome. Even in Pan-On 1, the tournaments had lost their luster because teams composed of a few super-elite players swept consecutive victories. Bae Jang-wook still remembered that clearly.

"Haha! Senior, do you really think I wouldn't know that?"

"Does that mean you found a solution?"

"Yes! You know about the Southern New Continent, right? I discovered a new arena in one of the cities there. Do you know what makes this arena so special?"

Every city had different arena features, ranging from team sizes like 1v1 or 2v2, to maps, terrain, and elemental attributes...

"What is it?"

"Once you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠enter the arena, everyone's level is automatically synced."

"!!"

Whether a level 10 entered or a level 200 entered, their stats would be adjusted to match a level 100 baseline. Perfect balance!

"What do you think? With this, isn't it worth a shot? I've already contacted some corporations I know, and they're quite positive about sponsorship."

"You rascal. That's so like you!"

"Thank you. I'll take that as a green light, then!"

"Wait. That's all well and good, but why do you need my introductions?"

"Well, when a new league starts, it needs hype. People still remember how the pro league failed in Pan-On 1."

The memory of a past failure doesn't fade easily. On top of that, Pan-On 2 had an overwhelming amount of content. In such a climate, if they simply announced, 'We are restarting the pro league based on the Arena!' people would likely dismiss it, thinking, Ugh, is it going to fail again? No matter how thoroughly they prepared and refined the rules, public perception was a hard thing to change.

"But if top rankers make an appearance, people will tune in no matter what. After that, the momentum will carry it forward on its own."

"So you want Kim Tae-hyun or Lee Se-yeon."

"I knew you'd understand, Senior."

"But I think that might be a bit of a stretch. I'll try talking to them, but don't get your hopes up."

"Why is that?"

"Kim Tae-hyun doesn't seem like the type to participate in things like this, and Lee Se-yeon is busy clearing a quest somewhere else lately. It must be an incredibly important quest, considering she's keeping it a secret even from us."

"Mmm. That's a shame. I really wanted those two... But it can't be helped. The other rankers are still more than capable of drawing attention."

"How many players per team in this arena?"

"It's 5v5."

"A five-man team, huh. If Lee Se-yeon weren't so busy, she might have actually participated..."

"Please ask her anyway. I'm begging you."

"Alright. It's a request from my junior, so of course I'll do it."

Bae Jang-wook nodded and hung up. That was Cha Su-han for you. While everyone else steered clear of the Arena pro league because it had failed in Pan-On 1, he boldly charged right in.

A sharp idea. It definitely has potential.

The pro league had failed, but the Arena itself remained one of Pan-On's most popular features. If they could just fix the flaws, it was highly likely to become a massive hit. Wandering around a fantasy world on adventures was great, and growing stronger while uncovering hidden secrets was fun, but...

Ultimately, nothing was more thrilling and suspenseful than PvP between players!

If we could get Lee Se-yeon and Kim Tae-hyun on board, early success would be guaranteed. But knowing Kim Tae-hyun's personality, there's no way he'd do it...

Bae Jang-wook couldn't picture Tae-hyun forming a team and competing in a tournament at all. It was just a hunch, but his intuition was spot on!

Cha Su-han was meticulous. He knew exactly how to capture the public's attention. It all started with media play! Although there was still plenty of time before the launch, throwing out bait like this bit by bit would allow public interest to ripen.

While reactions varied, it was clear that the Arena pro league had garnered immense interest. And right here, there was an aspiring Arena prospect.

"The Arena boom is finally here! Su-hyeok! I told you so!"

"Uh... yeah?"

Jeong Su-hyeok stared at his friends with a bewildered expression. His friends cheered, pointing at the internet news.

"An Arena pro league! And in a 5v5 team format! This is practically tailor-made for us!"

"What about the levels?"

"Amazingly, levels don't matter! Isn't that incredible?!"

Because levels were equalized inside the arena, people were forgetting one crucial detail: usually, players with higher levels also possessed far superior skills!

Jeong Su-hyeok's friend, Choi Jin-hyuk, had a sparkle in his eyes.

"We're entering this. We're going to show them what we've got! We'll prove the strength of our five-man team. Make sure to tell Senior Kim Tae-hyun, too! Tell him we're entering!"

Jeong Su-hyeok briefly imagined what would happen if he told Tae-hyun.

-Senior, my friends are forming a team to enter the pro league.

-And what do you want me to do about it?

He knew that response would fly out without even a second of hesitation! However, as a friend, Jeong Su-hyeok couldn't bring himself to crush Choi Jin-hyuk's dream.

"S-sure! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll tell him."

"Ah, Su-hyeok, you can join our team too if you want."

"But it's a five-man team, and all the slots are full, aren't they?"

"Haha, you still have a lot to learn! Teams like this usually carry one or two extra players. That way, we can swap members depending on the opponent's composition or the arena map. Either way, you're always welcome!"

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

To be honest, Jeong Su-hyeok highly doubted his friends could break through the fierce competition of top-tier players to reach the main tournament. No level restrictions meant that an astronomical number of people would flock to register.

At some point, a strange post began appearing on the Pan-On community boards. It was a post rallying Mechanical Engineering players. In reality, the reactions to the post were cold.

The reputation of Mechanical Engineering had truly hit rock bottom! Even though Tae-hyun had struck gold with Mechanical Engineering, its image was still in the gutter. It was a testament to just how many disasters other Mechanical Engineering players had caused in the meantime.

Yet, despite the cold comments, people gathered. The Mechanical Engineering blacksmiths had nothing left to lose.

"Ah, are you Ken?"

"Hello. I'm Jang."

The Mechanical Engineering players shook hands as soon as they met. Their handshakes were warm. Just as any close-knit group shared a deep bond, these players felt an intense sense of camaraderie the moment they laid eyes on each other. After all, they were comrades raising the same trash class... no, walking the same treacherous path!

"Welcome, everyone. I am Gabriel, the organizer of this gathering. My friends, how much have you suffered until now? How much have you been looked down upon?"

"Sob..."

Cries erupted at Gabriel's words! The blacksmiths were all wiping away tears. They ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had truly suffered immense sorrow because of their Mechanical Engineering skill.

"Other players look down on Mechanical Engineering. They won't buy our items, and they refuse to invite us to their parties. That's why I thought: let's band together!"

"But how do we band together? We don't have anyone to buy our goods."

"Just because we have crafting classes, does that mean we have to stay cooped up inside? Let's go out to the fields and hunt!"

"?!"

The crowd looked bewildered at Gabriel's suggestion. Hunting with a crafting class went completely against common sense.

"Blacksmiths aren't that weak. Our Strength stat is decent, and our Constitution isn't bad either. We might lack combat skills, but if we band together and help each other, it's entirely possible. On top of that, we have Mechanical Engineering! Besides, bomb damage hurts ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠us a little less anyway."

"B-but... hunting is a bit..."

"Exactly. Why do you think other crafting classes don't hunt? There's a reason they don't!"

Gabriel replied with a solemn face. "I heard this method directly from the player Kim Tae-hyun!"

"!!"

The blacksmiths gasped. Among all the players currently leveling up Mechanical Engineering, the undisputed frontrunner was Tae-hyun. And he was the one who said this?

"Player Kim Tae-hyun told me this: Mechanical Engineering players must band together. Band together to hunt, defeat enemies, and grow your skills. And then, trample over those who looked down on us!"

Tae-hyun hadn't actually said that last part, but that didn't matter right now. Gabriel genuinely believed it!

"Everyone! Let's do this! Let's show those who looked down on us just how amazing we are!"

"Ohhhh!"

The gathering of Mechanical Engineering players began to heat up.

"Let's burn them! The monsters!"

"Let's crush them! Those who looked down on us!"

"With big, powerful bombs!"

The atmosphere was so dangerous that anyone passing by would have reported them to the authorities! But they were dead serious. Together with Gabriel, they marched outside and began their hunt.