The Birth of a Team
"Father..." Kim Tae-hyun said, staring at Kim Tae-san, but Kim Tae-san pretended not to hear. He was trying to act as if his previous reaction had never happened. Seeing this, Lee Da-bi whispered softly.
"He looks really upset. Don't you think it's better to apologize?"
"That's not him being angry; he's just sulking. Besides, what do I have to apologize for? I won fair and square."
"I don't think 'fair and square' is... exactly... the right word..."
Listening to their conversation, Cain pressed them anxiously.
"That's not what's important right now! The gaming team! What's happening with the gaming team?!"
Glance! In an instant, Kim Tae-san shot a murderous glare at Cain.
You think this isn't important?
His eyes practically screamed those words!
Ah, oops! Only then did Cain realize what he had just blurted out.
"Father, stop it. If you stop sulking, I'll tell you what happened."
"Hmph."
"Then let's go to the next table and talk."
Grab. Kim Tae-san caught Tae-hyun's arm. Without looking at him, he muttered:
"Well... go ahead and speak. I suppose I can at least listen."
To be precise, Chairman Yoo hadn't actually proposed it; it was an idea Tae-hyun had come up with on his own. However, upon hearing it, Cain nodded with an admired expression on his face.
"What a brilliant idea...!"
"Why are you so excited?"
"Me, me! You're going to let me join, right? I'm pretty good, aren't I?!"
Cain spoke in a desperate voice. He was truly that desperate right now.
When they first won the tournament, he had been incredibly happy. The reactions of those around him—comments like, "Wow, you actually won? That's amazing!", "So you're officially playing as a pro gamer now?", and "I heard gaming teams are scouting players, have they contacted you yet?"—had made him swell with pride.
But... no one had contacted him.
He was starting to feel the pressure.
"Hey, Deok-su. Why aren't you going outside? Shouldn't you be talking to the gaming teams or something?" Questions like these were beginning to sting painfully!
"Do you want to join?"
"Of course!"
"..."
Tae-hyun looked at Cain with pity. Under normal circumstances, Cain could have joined a much better gaming team. Yet, he had kicked away those good opportunities on his own and chosen this difficult path.
Tsk, tsk...
"Is... is that a no?"
"What do you mean 'no'? Is our relationship that shallow? If we make one, of course I'll put you in."
Tae-hyun patted Cain on the shoulder with a benevolent smile. Watching that smile, Lee Da-bi tilted her head.
Why is he smiling so wickedly?
"R-Really?! No backing out later, okay?"
Kim Tae-san, who had been listening, chimed in with a complaint.
"What are you going to do with only two players?"
"Well, we can just gather more players. Lee Da-bi, do you want to join?"
"Huh? Do we get a salary?"
"Of course."
"I'm in!"
"Now we have three..."
"..."
Kim Tae-san stared blankly, utterly dumbfounded.
"Should I call Sang-yun too?"
Tae-hyun said as he dialed Choi Sang-yun's number.
Tae-hyun: "Sang-yun, what are you up to?"
Sang-yun: "Huh? ST Five asked to meet up, so I'm on my way there now. Oh, right, I heard you won the charity tournament? The forums are going crazy."
Tae-hyun: "Well, that much is only natural."
Sang-yun: "They said you won in an incredibly dirty way in the finals... About a third of the posts are just bashing you. People are asking who on earth uses a build like that against their own family."
Tae-hyun: "..."
Sang-yun: "Anyway, your dad must be sulking! Haha. Make sure to soothe him well. Once he starts sulking, it lasts a long time."
Tae-hyun: "He's listening right next to me."
Sang-yun: "...T-The number you have dialed is not in..."
"I can hear everything, you punk!"
Kim Tae-san snapped in irritation. Choi Sang-yun, on the other hand, got angry at Tae-hyun.
Sang-yun: "If he was listening right next to you, you should have warned me beforehand!"
Tae-hyun: "Ah, that's not important. Anyway, I have an offer that's much better than ST Five."
Sang-yun: "What? Where is it?"
Tae-hyun: "I'll tell you when we meet in person, so just come over for now."
Tae-hyun hung up the phone. Lee Da-bi asked.
"Won't he get angry once he finds out?"
"It's fine, it's fine. It's much better than going to a place like ST Five and fighting for a starting spot. Should I call Su-hyeok too?"
Kim Tae-san watched Tae-hyun's actions with an anxious gaze. No matter how he looked at it, this was a completely haphazard, wing-it approach!
Is this really going to be okay? Can he really do it like this?!
"Hey, Tae-hyun. Are you actually making a proper plan?"
"Yes. I've got a rough outline."
"Not a rough outline, you punk! A proper one!"
"First, we assemble the players, then we contact Lawyer Jeong for some advice, and call Judicial Scrivener Choi and Tax Accountant Kim to get an estimate."
"...Those are all my connections!!"
It was indeed a solid plan. It was just that every single one of them was a connection Kim Tae-san had built over many years!
"Haha. It's because their skills are guaranteed."
"..."
For some reason, he felt like he had been scammed. Kim Tae-san clicked his tongue and asked.
"So, do you think it'll turn a profit? What's the outlook?"
"Pardon? I'm just doing this as a hobby."
"...Ugh, you little rascal! I shouldn't have given you that building!"
Overwhelmed with frustration, Kim Tae-san grabbed Tae-hyun and shook him back and forth. But Kim Tae-san had no idea. He had no clue what kind of chaotic schemes Tae-hyun would pull off in the future!
"A gaming team... a gaming team... What should I name it..."
Even inside Pan-On, Tae-hyun was lost in thought. Although he had started it almost like a joke after hearing Chairman Yoo's suggestion, it was surprisingly the most viable option. Above all, the biggest advantage was that he wouldn't have to join another team and adapt to their style. The freedom to do whatever he wanted!
The budget is more than enough, so I can easily run it for a few years. As for the gaming house... hm, should I just use one of the buildings I own? That would be the most convenient.
While other professional gaming teams scrambled to find sponsors to support them, Tae-hyun had no such need. He was his own sponsor!
"Master! Master! ...Wait, what is that thing next to you?"
Tae-hyun returned to the Valley of Despair and Sorrow. The one who greeted him was Yong-yong. But mid-flight, Yong-yong suddenly froze, his expression turning dead serious.
"Ah, this is Heuk-heuk..."
"T-That creature is Sadiq's demonic beast! Master!"
"Yeah, I know. I summoned him."
"..."
Yong-yong looked as if he had been struck on the back of the head.
"...T-This... this makes no sense...! For Master to do such a thing...!"
"No, Yong-yong. Even Sadiq's power can be used for good, right? If a good person like me uses it, even Sadiq's power becomes a force for good."
Feeling a bit sorry for Yong-yong, Tae-hyun did his best to soothe him. Meanwhile, Heuk-heuk was staring at Tae-hyun as if he were a complete lunatic. A good person?
Based on his actions alone, he's the literal incarnation of Sadiq...
The way he had laid down bombs to burn down a city! No matter how one looked at it, he was not a good person. Just like Heuk-heuk, Yong-yong wasn't easily fooled either.
"Master... no matter how much I think about it, that sounds like a massive stretch..."
"I'm telling you, it's not. By the way, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be hunting rabbits?"
"The rabbits have vanished. That is why I returned."
"What?"
Tae-hyun was taken aback. The rabbits had vanished?
"Lee Da-bi, can you check what's going on? They're saying the rabbits have disappeared. Is it like that elsewhere too?"
"Ah, yes. ...You're right. Everyone is reacting to the rabbits disappearing..."
As she spoke, Lee Da-bi suddenly realized something and gasped in horror.
"N-No!"
"Why?"
"The grain we bought is going to crash in price!"
"...So the prices completely crashed?"
"...Yes..."
Logging in after a long absence, Chairman Yoo was greeted with shocking news. The members of the Power Warrior Guild hung their heads low like criminals. Although Chairman Yoo hadn't given them any specific instructions, they could have minimized the losses if they had sold the grain quickly.
"Well, it can't be helped."
"...Pardon?"
"Since I wasn't logged in, there wasn't much you could do. Here, take this as a bonus for your hard work."
"...!!"
Even after losing such a massive sum of money, Chairman Yoo's expression didn't change in the slightest! Seeing this, the hearts of the Power Warrior Guild members began to flutter.
W-What is this...
Is this love?
Probably not... It's respect!
Chairman Yoo smacked his lips with regret.
Tsk, if it weren't for that gaming team business, I could have paid more attention to this... But who on earth solved the rabbit crisis?
"Kim Tae-hyun!"
"...?"
Tae-hyun, who had been busy soothing Yong-yong and badgering Heuk-heuk to make them get along, paused. Someone was calling out to him from afar.
"What is it? Who is that?"
"Isn't it one of your fans?"
Cain replied half-heartedly. Whenever Tae-hyun was in his territory, fans would visit dozens of times a day, asking questions like, "I'm a huge fan! Can I get an autograph? Can we take a picture? I'm currently playing class XX, what should I do here?" Of course, in the process, Cain was completely ignored.
Sob... Back then, the kids in the PC bang were my fans...
"He's glaring at me way too fiercely to be a fan, don't you think?"
"...?"
At Tae-hyun's words, Cain double-checked. The face approaching from the distance was...
"Jang, Jang, Jang..."
"Who is Jang-jang-jang?"
"It's Jang Ssu-an, you idiot!!!"
Cain shouted as he quickly drew his weapon.
"Paladins of Archisus! Over here! Hey! You guys get ready to fight too!"
"Huh? What's going on?"
"Someone is targeting Kim Tae-hyun! He's dangerous! He's a ranker!"
"Oh! We're on our way!"
"Put the b-bombs away! Take them out when we actually start fighting, you lunatics!"
Cain immediately regretted his choices. He had just called whoever was in sight, but in hindsight, summoning the mechanical engineering blacksmiths wandering nearby was a huge mistake. While everyone else was startled or tense, these guys were running over with bright, joyful faces that screamed, Wow! An opportunity to detonate bombs! Exciting!
Tae-hyun was also tilting his head in confusion.
"Who was Jang Ssu-an again?"
"..."
For a moment, Cain felt his sanity escape all the way to the Demon Realm.
"The tournament player you ambushed and defeated back then!!"
"There are too many guys like that for me to remember..."
"Outside the tournament!"
"Ah, that guy? So his name was Jang Ssu-an. Sorry, I don't remember every single name."
Meanwhile, Jang Ssu-an had drawn close. For some reason, he was riding a cheap horse. Seeing this, Cain thought to himself.
I see. He figured he'd be fighting here, so there was no need to ride an expensive mount. As expected of a ranker. I must not let my guard down!
"Kim Tae-hyun...!"
Jang Ssu-an spoke in a solemn, tragic voice. Tae-hyun nodded and replied.
"Right, Su Ning."
"...I'm not Su Ning, I'm Jang Ssu-an."
"Ah, right! Jang... Jang Ssu-an? It's Jang Ssu-an, right?"
Cain clearly saw Jang Ssu-an's face twitch. However, Jang Ssu-an let it slide without saying anything.
He decided to pretend he didn't hear that.
As Cain looked at him with pity, Jang Ssu-an felt an inexplicable wave of annoyance wash over him.
What is this? Why do I feel so irritated?
"Ahem. Kim Tae-hyun. You know why I've come here, don't you?"
"...I have no idea."
"Cut the act. Are you planning to play dumb like last time? How dare you pretend to know nothing after laying such a trap!"
"???"
Tae-hyun looked at Cain. What on earth is this guy talking about?
Jang Ssu-an was completely misunderstanding the situation.
That bastard Kim Tae-hyun must have set a trap in Tyrum City, knowing I would come looking for him eventually! It's a well-known fact that I've been searching for Tyrum City!
Of course, Tae-hyun didn't care about Jang Ssu-an to that extent. The only reason Jang Ssu-an had been beaten up and kicked out of Tyrum City was simply because he had acted like an arrogant jerk.
"Ah. I get it now."
"I knew it. You're finally showing your true colors."
"You came here to be killed, right?"
"...Huh?"
Tae-hyun drew his weapon. When you couldn't understand what the other person was saying, it was always best to just beat them up first.
"You should have just said so from the start. You're so dishonest."
"W-Wait, that's not what I..."