The Spirit of Youth

It was slightly embarrassing, but in truth, there was absolutely no reason to feel that way. A clean sweep of 3-0! They had completely overwhelmed an opponent widely considered to be a powerhouse. The moment the match concluded, a thunderous roar erupted from the spectator stands.

"Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun!"

"Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun!"

Although there were five members on the team, only one name could be heard. Everyone present knew exactly who the MVP of today's match was.

Although this was the first match of the main ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tournament, the spectators had already watched plenty of Arena matches. Specifically, the preliminary matches before the main event! Anyone with enough interest to watch the Arena tournament was bound to have caught at least a few of those qualifiers.

And those matches were usually highlights handpicked from the most fiercely contested preliminaries. Having watched such high-level play, it was only natural that the audience's standards had skyrocketed. Combined with the massive expectations for the opening match of the main tournament, satisfying today's crowd was no easy feat.

Yet, what Tae-hyun delivered today was something that shattered those expectations entirely. He had provided both pure entertainment and a flawless victory, making the crowd's explosive reaction inevitable.

"The fans are chanting Kim Tae-hyun's name!"

"And it's completely deserved! I've watched my fair share of Arena matches, but I've never seen anything like today's game. I never in a million years imagined someone would play it out like that! Usually, teams have a standard, textbook strategy they rely on, but the Korean representative team showed absolutely none of that. It was pure, unadulterated innovation!"

"Oh, it seems we're focusing a bit too much on Kim Tae-hyun. The other players might get jealous! Hahaha!"

Though said in jest, Cain could see Do Dong-su's face turning bright red.

Tsk, tsk. Why didn't he just do what he was told instead of going off on his own and making such a fool of himself...

Having suffered at Tae-hyun's hands more than enough times, Cain had already reached a state of complete surrender and enlightenment. He couldn't comprehend why Do Dong-su kept digging his own grave. Why does he keep doing that? Giving up makes everything so much easier!

"Just give up. It's much easier that way."

"Shut up!"

Do Dong-su harshly rejected Cain's heartfelt advice.

"Ah, the players are stepping out of their capsules and shaking hands!"

"It's always heartwarming to see players shake hands after a life-or-death battle."

"Indeed. But despite how it looks on the outside, the losing side must be feeling absolutely devastated. Back when I was an active player, shaking hands after a loss was always the most painful part."

Cain flinched. Lee Ju-hyeong was approaching from a distance, his face a mix of resentment, frustration, and sorrow!

He's not going to punch me, is he?

Cain instinctively took a step back and hid behind Tae-hyun. Inside Pan-On was one thing, but in the real world, there was no one more reassuring than Tae-hyun. He had the kind of visual presence that made you feel he could win a fight against absolutely anyone!

Clap. As Lee Ju-hyeong reached out his hand, Cain flinched. Watching this, Tae-hyun asked in bewilderment,

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, no. It's just..."

"Don't tell me you thought you were about to get hit?"

"No, you jerk! What do you take me for?!"

"Just shake his hand. Can't you see him staring at you? If you leave him hanging, you're going to get branded as 'Cain, the arrogant winner who refuses to shake hands' again."

"Gasp!"

Cain hurriedly grabbed Lee Ju-hyeong's hand and shook it. However, to the spectators, it looked as though Cain had been stubbornly refusing to shake hands until Tae-hyun scolded him into doing it.

Cain's reputation as a villain was solidifying by the second! Though, considering his past as the guild leader of the notorious Red Zone, this villainous image was actually much closer to his true nature.

Completely oblivious to the storm brewing outside, Cain shook Lee Ju-hyeong's hand. Lee Ju-hyeong spoke.

"...I'm sorry."

"?"

"I spoke out of turn without truly understanding your skill, Cain. You are more than qualified to be on this team."

"...!!"

Though clearly frustrated and bitter, Lee Ju-hyeong spoke with the utmost politeness. Cain was deeply moved by his attitude. Ah, so this is sportsmanship! Fighting with everything you've got, and becoming friends afterward!

"No, I don't think that's quite..."

"It's a beautiful moment, so don't ruin it!" Lee Se-yeon quickly covered Tae-hyun's mouth as he tried to interject.

"What? I have to tell him the truth. Otherwise, he'll misunderstand. I only set those fires because I felt like it..."

"People don't need to know every single truth in the world!"

"Ah, the Korean players are celebrating joyfully!" The commentators wondered if that chaotic display could really be called a victory ceremony, but they decided to let it slide.

Hearing Tae-hyun's name echoing continuously from the stands, Lee Se-yeon was suddenly reminded of their days in Pan-On 1. It had been just like this back then. Tae-hyun undeniably possessed a talent—a talent for capturing the attention of everyone around him. Whether that attention was drawn for positive or negative reasons was a different story entirely, but still...

Come to think of it, she herself had been one of those drawn to him. Seeing him run wild in Pan-On 1, she had tried so hard to recruit him into her guild...

Maybe it would have been better for my peace of mind if I had just given up back then...

Lee Se-yeon stared intently at Tae-hyun. He had already given her countless headaches, but she had an ominous premonition that he would cause many more in the future.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"It's nothing. More importantly, don't you find this a bit funny? You said you wanted to hide your identity from Pan-On 1, but playing like this completely defeats the purpose, doesn't it?"

"...!"

Tae-hyun realized what Lee Se-yeon meant. If he had won in a relatively normal, mundane fashion, it would have been fine. But winning in such an outrageous, unconventional way was bound to make people whisper, Wait, isn't this exactly how Kim Tae-hyun played in Pan-On 1?

"Hey... I had no choice!"

"Right. The opponent wasn't easy, after all. You had to do whatever it took to win."

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant I had no choice if I wanted to screw over Do Dong-su."

Lee Se-yeon pretended not to hear that.

"It'll probably be fine. We aren't the only ones playing today; there's another match scheduled. They'll draw away some of the attention."

In this tournament, four teams played each day, with two advancing. Since the match between Tae-hyun's team and Team Blue was over, the next two teams would soon take the stage.

"We will now proceed with the player interviews! Players, please come up to the stage!"

"Are you staying to watch the interviews and the next match?"

"No. I'm going home to craft some items."

"Ah, I'm bored. I'm so bored!"

"If you're bored, go over there and hit a training dummy."

"How much is hitting that thing even going to level up my swordsmanship?!"

Tae-hyun had set up shop in a quiet corner of the Arena building, hammering away. What did it take to craft a masterpiece? Materials and pure, unadulterated effoooooort!

In truth, unlike in Pan-On 1, Tae-hyun hadn't spent much time focusing on crafting in Pan-On 2. Quests related to Akisus kept popping up left and right, and even when he tried to carve out some quiet time, enemies would inevitably seek him out... From Tae-hyun's perspective, it was deeply unfair.

I've lived such a good, honest life, yet the world constantly gets in my way!

Regardless, dedicating his spare time to crafting was one of Tae-hyun's greatest specialties. Cain, of course, did not share this sentiment. As a textbook combat class, Cain absolutely loathed sitting around doing nothing.

"Chairman, please take this guy and go play with him."

"To my fishing spot?"

"I'm sure he'll find something to do. Just take him."

Sick of hearing him whine right next to him, Tae-hyun dumped Cain onto Chairman Yoo.

"Wait a minute! I told you, you can't just wander around as you please!"

"Then you can go with him! Here, off you go together!"

Successfully dumping even Kim Hyeon-ah, who had been assigned as his bodyguard! Tae-hyun pushed them away with sheer force. Watching ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this, Lee Da-bi spoke in an impressed tone.

"Impressive! To bundle them up and kick them all out like that."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I've always been good at clearing out nuisances. Here, hold this for a second."

"By the way, what are you making?"

"An artifact. A ring would probably be best."

"Ah. Is it for you to wear?"

"No. It's not for me."

"...!"

"Hmm, is this enough? Yes, this spot is better."

Tae-hyun had gathered the materials using almost every method at his disposal. He had cashed in the contribution points he accumulated with the McCraney Merchant Group, ordered the members of the Power Warrior Guild to gather resources... At the very least, he had managed to assemble a decent assortment!

I should use a sterling silver base and cram in every single gemstone I can find.

It would look absolutely atrocious from a design standpoint, but Tae-hyun didn't care about aesthetics. Performance was all that mattered! Just look at Cain—he walked around with those hideous chimera ears and nose solely for the stats. Completely oblivious to the complicated look Lee Da-bi was giving him, Tae-hyun focused entirely on his crafting.

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence!

The pond where Cain, Chairman Yoo, and Kim Hyeon-ah had settled was dead quiet. The three of them suddenly came to a stark realization.

Without Kim Tae-hyun here, we have absolutely nothing to talk about...!

In truth, the three of them weren't close at all! Just throwing them together wasn't going to magically conjure up a topic of conversation.

"...H-Have you caught a lot?"

"...Y-Yes, indeed."

That awkward exchange was the absolute limit of their conversation! Eventually, Chairman Yoo, who had been fishing in the stifling silence, decided to speak up. After all, wasn't it the duty of the eldest to break the ice?

"Ahem... You two. Is there any particular kind of tournament you wish existed?"

"Pardon?"

"The Arena tournament has been incredibly popular, hasn't it? Thanks to that, a lot of ideas for different types of competitions have been popping up."

"That's true."

Due to the massive success of the Arena tournament, various organizations were attempting to host their own Pan-On-related events. Of course, none of them commanded as much attention as the official Arena tournament currently underway, but they still garnered a significant amount of interest, largely thanks to the sheer power of the Pan-On brand.

"Since both of you are outstanding Pan-On players, I wondered if you had any good ideas."

There was a specific reason Chairman Yoo was bringing this up. It was all because of a proposal submitted by Chief Secretary Jung Ji-yong! It was a plan to host a charity Pan-On tournament under the name of the Yuseong Group. Upon reading it, Chairman Yoo had slapped his knee in excitement. This was it!

It would bolster the public image of the Yuseong Group, allow Chairman Yoo himself to participate in the tournament (which was, in truth, his primary motive), and if the results were favorable, he could use it as a pretext to revive discussions about Yuseong Group's entry into esports.

Since Chairman Yoo himself had thrown a tantrum over their past esports failures and ordered the division to be shut down, he found it awkward to be the one to suggest starting it up again. He had to maintain his stance of: Ahem, well, I personally have no interest in video games, but if this is the modern trend, I suppose I have no choice but to cooperate.

The problem was the format of the tournament. Though they had discussed it several times, nothing concrete had been decided. A standard Arena tournament? It would inevitably be overshadowed by the current official tournament. Furthermore, Chairman Yoo had already heard through his personal connections that once this Arena tournament concluded, the developers of Pan-On planned to directly host a global professional league!

Given the explosive reception, it was a natural progression. Consequently, Chairman Yoo was left in a deep dilemma. He had no desire to host a tournament only for it to be met with complete indifference. He needed a brilliant, eye-catching concept!

"I was thinking of a fishing tournament, but..."

"I don't think that's it."

"Definitely not."

"..."

Chairman Yoo slumped. Even his Chief Secretary ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had reacted with a hesitant, Well... that's... a bit... when he first proposed it. It was the absolute maximum level of rejection a fiercely loyal subordinate could possibly display!

"Wouldn't it be better to just ask that guy, Kim Tae-hyun?"

"No! I refuse to ask him! Just imagine how much he'll gloat if he actually comes up with a good idea!"

"...You're right!"

Cain and Chairman Yoo were in perfect agreement. Usually, Tae-hyun was always right while they were always wrong. They couldn't let that happen again!

"Alright. Let's squeeze our brains and come up with something!"

"Excellent! That's the spirit of youth!"

Chairman Yoo and Cain excitedly began brainstorming, throwing out all kinds of wild ideas. Watching them, Kim Hyeon-ah tilted her head in confusion. But who exactly is that old man, and why does he need an idea like that?