GG!
Cain returned with the most aggrieved face in the world.
"I was tricked!"
"What is it this time?"
"How could he play such a wicked build with a face like that...!"
"I told you, my dad is always like that."
Only after hearing Tae-hyun's words did Cain realize.
Come to think of it, they're Kim Tae-hyun's family...!
Why was he only realizing this now?
"Oh. It's my turn now."
While Cain was wallowing in despair, Tae-hyun stood up. Tae-hyun's next opponent was Bae Joong-hwan. Current Pan-On commentator, and former Fantasy Craft pro gamer.
"Isn't the reaction way too different from when we played?"
"It's Kim Tae-hyun, so what do you expect?"
The players' chatter drifted over.
Unlike their lukewarm reactions earlier, the commentators were casting with absolute hype!
Regardless, Bae Joong-hwan was lost in thought.
Does the Chairman dislike Kim Tae-hyun?
Bae Joong-hwan liked Tae-hyun. As a Pan-On commentator, there was no way he could dislike a player who generated buzz and made matches as entertaining as Tae-hyun did.
And that wasn't all. There was something about Tae-hyun's playstyle that captivated viewers. Whether you called it charisma or raw skill... it was undeniable that he possessed immense star power.
The problem was that Chairman Yoo had called Bae Joong-hwan over before the tournament started and given him strict instructions.
"You must defeat that fellow Kim Tae-hyun at all costs! Do you understand?"
"Excuse me??"
"Do not underestimate him under any circumstances, and do your absolute best to win! I don't want to hear any excuses later about how you let your guard down and got caught off guard!"
"U-Understood."
Although he liked Tae-hyun, that was separate from ignoring the words of a tycoon like Chairman Yoo. In fact, he had to follow them to the letter!
I'm sorry, Kim Tae-hyun. I like you, but I have to listen to Chairman Yoo! Do you know how many commercials his company sponsors for me?!
With those thoughts, Bae Joong-hwan sat down.
Even then, Bae Joong-hwan didn't have the slightest inkling that he would lose.
Tae-hyun was playing Fantasy Craft exactly the way he played Pan-On.
In a word...
Tormenting others!
Among the Human faction's units, the Mounted Archer was relatively cheap but possessed high movement speed. However, their weakness was their fragile health; if not micro-managed individually, they would quickly be beaten to death.
It was an off-meta, rarely used unit, but Tae-hyun mass-produced nothing but Mounted Archers and charged straight into Bae Joong-hwan's base.
His target? The workers!
To disrupt his opponent's economy, he relentlessly targeted only the workers.
What kind of crazy bastard plays like this?!
Bae Joong-hwan was dumbfounded. Even during his active years as a pro, there were occasionally players who used Mounted Archers. But at most, they would produce a few to poke and prod; someone who went all-in like Tae-hyun was practically unheard of.
Because they were impossible to control!
It's not like he has four hands...!
If this weren't an official tournament, he would have screamed, "Is he hacking?!" It was that frustrating.
Only now did Bae Joong-hwan truly understand the feelings of the other players who had faced Tae-hyun.
From a commentator's perspective, it was easy to say, "Ah! Player Kim Tae-hyun! Brilliant! What an admirable play!" But facing it directly was utterly terrifying.
The pressure felt as if he were playing against a highly sophisticated AI!
"S-Secretary Jung. It looks like Commentator Bae Joong-hwan is being pushed back. Am I seeing things?"
"...My apologies, Chairman. Commentator Bae Joong-hwan is indeed being pushed back."
"No, I... I specifically told him not to let his guard down!"
If Bae Joong-hwan had heard this, he would have protested, I didn't let my guard down!
In truth, Bae Joong-hwan hadn't let his guard down at all. Tae-hyun was simply far beyond anything he could have anticipated!
"T-This can't be...! If Commentator Bae Joong-hwan loses, how does the bracket look?!"
Chairman Yoo hurriedly checked the tournament bracket. He had designed the bracket entirely relying on Bae Joong-hwan to win.
"We still have his younger brother, Commentator Bae Joong-yeol. Just in case, I placed him in the opposite block..."
"Well, that's not the worst-case scenario. Seeing his brother lose should wake Commentator Bae Joong-yeol up, and he'll do his absolute best, right? You said he's highly skilled."
"T-That... I hope things go well..."
Secretary Jung Ji-yong wiped his sweat as he replied. But the anxiety did not fade.
Could Bae Joong-yeol really defeat a rampaging Tae-hyun?
"Ooooh! Oooooh! Oooooooh!"
Kim Tae-san was showing unbelievable late-game tenacity, pushing Bae Joong-yeol to the brink.
Bae Joong-yeol was faltering under Kim Tae-san's unexpected late-game onslaught.
In the early and mid-game, Bae Joong-yeol had driven Kim Tae-san into a corner with perfect strategy.
Kim Tae-san, who couldn't pull off the dazzling micro-management of Tae-hyun, was bound to be overwhelmed by Bae Joong-yeol in a standard head-on clash.
But as the game dragged into the late stage and he was pushed to the brink, Kim Tae-san launched a desperate, all-out war.
He poured every single unit he had into a relentless charge.
Bae Joong-yeol began to waver under that sheer momentum.
"No, what... what is wrong with that one now?!"
Chairman Yoo felt his blood pressure rising.
First Kim Tae-hyun caused a ruckus, and now Kim Tae-san was trying to do the same.
"T-These... these Kim family bastards are truly...!"
Chairman Yoo slumped back into his chair. Then he closed his eyes.
"Is it over?"
"...Yes. Commentator Bae Joong-yeol has lost."
"...It can't be helped..."
Chairman Yoo fell into thought. Only a fool would refuse to accept reality.
What mattered now was accepting the situation and deciding what to do next!
Chairman Yoo was a cold-hearted businessman to his very core.
...Since it has come to this, I have no choice but to hope that fellow Kim Tae-san wins the tournament...
It was far better for Kim Tae-san to win than Tae-hyun.
If he asked Kim Tae-san nicely, he might be able to get that motorcycle!
If I tell him that I've lost interest in Pan-On, but if he gives me that motorcycle, my interest might suddenly spark back up, then that fellow will surely...
As he contemplated how to word it, Chairman Yoo suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment.
What was so special about a motorcycle that he was making such a fuss!
To the public, they were praising him with headlines like "Yusung Group Makes Generous Donation for Society" and "Donation Aligned with Trends: Yusung Group Fulfills Social Responsibility," but the reality was far from it.
"Whew, fine. I must empty my mind."
With those words, Chairman Yoo stood up. He planned to meet the players and offer some words of encouragement.
"I-It's an honor!"
"Yes. Thank you for participating in today's tournament."
"I will do my absolute best!"
"Good, good."
"T-To meet you in person like this..."
"?"
Chairman Yoo tilted his head. He saw a face that looked familiar.
It was Do Dong-su.
Why is this fellow here?
In principle, invitations were sent to all players who participated in the tournament...
Tsk. I suppose it couldn't be helped. Yes, you did well.
Chairman Yoo did not like Do Dong-su. It wasn't because he had a bad relationship with Tae-hyun and tried to sabotage him during the tournament.
It was because when Chairman Yoo had gone to take a look at the waiting room where only team players gathered, Do Dong-su had scolded him and kicked him out.
If this fellow wanted to take down Kim Tae-hyun, he should have done it properly. He couldn't even do that, yet he's petty enough to kick out an old man?
With those thoughts, Chairman Yoo grabbed Do Dong-su's hand and shook it.
Do Dong-su was incredibly tense. After all, this was the highest-ranking person he had ever met in his life!
"Yes. I watched the tournament well. You worked hard."
"T-Thank you!"
"However, I wish you would be a bit kinder to others in the game."
"Excuse me? O-Of course, I always treat others kindly..."
"Liar!"
"?!"
"When an elderly man wanted to watch the tournament and entered the waiting room, did you, or did you not, treat him coldly?"
"I... I think I might have..."
"Don't do things like that! Do you understand?!"
"I-I'm sorry...!"
Do Dong-su had no idea why he was being scolded for such a thing, but he immediately begged for forgiveness.
Watching Do Dong-su, Chairman Yoo felt his clogged chest clear up.
Ah, hosting this charity tournament was a great decision. Should I host more in the future?
People were starting to realize.
Who would face whom in the finals of this tournament!
The highly unexpected battle between father and son!
"You're really working hard. Did you practice beforehand?"
"I practiced a bit. Why did you get eliminated so quickly?"
"Fantasy Craft isn't really my taste. Since it's a charity tournament, it felt wrong to decline... so I played casually."
"...Is what the loser said."
"..."
Lee Se-yeon felt her grip tighten around her glass.
Normally, she wasn't someone who was easily shaken, but whenever she dealt with Tae-hyun, she found herself getting incredibly annoyed.
He really had an extraordinary talent for getting under people's skin with the most trivial things!
"I told you, I played casually. I don't risk my life to win a charity tournament like this."
"Lee Da-bi. You mustn't become someone who makes excuses like that."
"Please don't drag me into your fight..."
Lee Da-bi slowly tried to move away to escape the conflict.
Grab—
However, Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon simultaneously grabbed Lee Da-bi's arms from both sides.
"Listen to this, Lee Da-bi. Who won in Pan-On 1? Yet he still behaves like this. Even though I generously offered to let him join my guild, he just flatly refused..."
"To think there's still someone talking about Pan-On 1, is that for real? Wow, I didn't know such a person existed. Do you know there's one more person over there talking about Pan-On 1? His name is Do Dong-su."
"Who is leaving because of whom right now?! I didn't even want to go on that program in the first place! Do you know how brutal that program is? If you don't finish, you have to stay up all night!"
"What's this? Are you already making excuses because you're not confident you can win in a game that appears on TV, just like Fantasy Craft?"
"...Fine! Let's do this! Let's see who finishes first!"
Cain, who was returning from afar with a plate piled high with drinks and food, flinched when he saw the three of them burning with competitive fire.
Then, he did a sharp 180-degree turn and walked right back the way he came.