The Birth of Team KL
The panicked Orc warriors rushed forward, but the players had already seized the gate.
"Push through! Don't stop!"
"I'm taking their heads! Out of my way!"
Swish, swish-swish!
Alcott's body vanished, only to reappear behind the Orc warriors, stabbing them mercilessly. Even the Orc warriors clad in heavy armor collapsed under his onslaught.
"Whoa! Alcott!"
"As expected of Alcott!"
"We have to upload this! Upload it now!"
"Huh?"
Alcott, who had been fighting flawlessly, suddenly flinched. He felt a sudden chill run down his spine. What was that?
"Squeeeak... Who! Who dared to open the gate without permission?!"
"Exactly! Who indeed! You should all be ashamed of yourselves, you fools!"
Tae-hyun stood right next to the Orc commander, lecturing the other Orcs. The Orc warriors glared at him, their eyes practically screaming, Where did this human trash roll in from? but Tae-hyun didn't care in the least. Between the Infamy he had already amassed within the tribe and the deputy status he had received from Monroso, the Orcs had no choice but to obey him under normal circumstances!
"Squeak! Since it has come to this, we retreat! We must retreat and join up with the other tribes..."
"No, no! Absolutely not! You must fight to the bitter end!"
"???"
"Honor! Isn't honor the most important thing to an Orc? If you fight to the end here, your honorable names will be remembered forever!"
"Squeeeak... That makes sense!"
You have successfully persuaded the Orc warriors.
Your Speech skill has increased.
You have acquired a new skill.
Your Infamy has increased.
If the Orcs retreated now, they would only become a nuisance later. Tae-hyun was determined to finish them all off right here.
"Now! I shall lend you my strength. Hmm..."
Tae-hyun hesitated for a moment, just as he was about to cast an Archisus-related buff. Just in case, it's better not to do anything that might expose my identity, right? In that case...
"Sadiq's Fire Enchantment!"
A spell that enchants equipment with Sadiq's flame.
Sadiq's Fire Enchantment
Applying Sadiq's Fire Enchantment. The equipment's durability will decrease rapidly.
Sadiq's flame has been infused into the equipment.
"Squeeeak! This weapon, it feels so strong! I love it!"
"Squeak... But this flame... I feel like I've heard of it somewhere... It's the exact same flame that wounded the Great Chieftain!"
Of course, Tae-hyun had no intention of letting the Orcs ponder this mystery.
"You fools! Is this the time to be daydreaming?! Go out there and fight!"
"Squeak! You're right!"
The Orcs rushed off in a stampede. Left behind, Tae-hyun shook his head.
"Phew. That was exhausting."
"An opening! Die! Haha!"
"...?!"
Before his assailant could even finish speaking, Tae-hyun was already twisting his body. It was a reaction so blindingly fast that it startled the attacker.
"What the..."
Alcott was dumbfounded. He had assumed this was just some random Orc mage and had completely underestimated him. Mages were only difficult to deal with when they kept their distance; once you closed the gap like this...
Wait. Didn't something like this happen before? And those mage robes look awfully familiar...
The moment that thought flashed through Alcott's mind, a very familiar voice echoed from beneath the mage's hood.
"Didn't you say you were dragged here against your will?"
"H-Heuuuk! Kim Tae-hyun?!"
As Tae-hyun turned his head, revealing his face which had been altered by a mask, Alcott shrieked in terror and tumbled backward onto the ground. It was a reaction only possible when someone was utterly, profoundly terrified!
"So this is how you really feel. You wanted to sneak up and slice me to pieces, is that it?"
"N-No! That's not it at all! I... I thought you were an Orc mage!"
"Didn't you already know I was working as a mage for the Orcs?"
"No, well, the situation was so chaotic..."
"Save it."
"No! Please listen! I'm telling the truth!"
"Now that I think about it, I heard you and Su Ning are pretty close... Are you, by any chance..."
"No! I hate that guy! Don't lump us together just because we're in the same guild!"
"Hmm. I don't buy it. Are you really on bad terms with Su Ning?"
"I swear we are! Just listen!"
Desperate, Alcott began to rattle off Su Ning's flaws. "That guy Su Ning is incredibly petty... He works people to the bone but never takes responsibility when he ruins things himself..."
"Mhm, mhm. Good. Keep going."
"Huh?"
"Keep going. Aren't you Su Ning's friend?"
"N-No, I mean, surely this is enough..."
"Keep going."
"Okay..."
Alcott began to squeeze his brain dry, desperately digging up every single one of Su Ning's flaws. Tae-hyun listened with a deeply satisfied expression before patting Alcott on the shoulder.
"Good job."
"...??"
"I'm off, then."
"Uh... wait, what?"
"So both Jang Ssu-an and Alcott are doing a quest in the Uruk region..."
"...Yes."
"I see. Well, that can happen."
"...?!"
The guild members were utterly bewildered by Su Ning's uncharacteristically generous attitude. Did he eat something bad?
"It can happen... Sure, it can happen... They must have had their reasons. A situation I'm not aware of. Right?"
"Hehe. Right?"
"Does that make any sense, you idiots?! How is that an excuse?! Call those bastards here right now!"
"But technically, doing a quest with Kim Tae-hyun isn't against the rules..."
"Technically?! Technically?! Do you have any idea how many people have been ruined by Kim Tae-hyun, and you're talking about 'rules' right now?!"
"Guild Leader Su Ning. I know you're angry because Alcott badmouthed you, but..."
"...What? Hold on. Alcott badmouthed me? This is the first I'm hearing of this."
Su Ning froze. The guild members froze as well. Ah, so Su Ning hasn't seen it yet!
"...Hahaha."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"Hahaha... Stop laughing. Bring me the video. Right now."
"Phew, that was brutal. Today's quest was so hard. Of all things, I ran into a ranker, and when I checked, his level was pushing nearly 180. Rankers these days are terrifying. If you slip up even a little, you're done for."
Choi Sang-yun said as he stepped out of his capsule. He addressed Tae-hyun, Cain, and Jeong Su-hyeok, who were also emerging from their respective capsules.
"I had a tough time too. I had to trick the Orcs into opening the fortress gates and then send them all to their deaths."
"Uh... right... sounds like you worked hard..."
It was the kind of anecdote from Tae-hyun that left everyone at a loss for words!
"I-I had a rough time too. Yes, indeed. We all worked hard."
Cain subtly chimed in. Curious, Choi Sang-yun asked, "Oh? What did you do?"
"Uh, well, you see, um..."
When Cain stammered, Tae-hyun kindly answered on his behalf.
"He got taken prisoner."
"...P-Prisoner? By another player?"
"No. By an NPC."
"...W-Well, that can happen!"
Choi Sang-yun tried his best to be gentle and considerate of Cain's feelings. That very kindness only made the sting worse.
Ugh...!
"Let's grab some food. Oh, by the way, you guys have that press conference coming up soon for the team's founding. Do you have suitable clothes?"
"Yeah."
"Yes. I received a suit from a relative when I entered university."
"Huh? What clothes??"
Instantly, all eyes fell on Cain. Cain replied, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
"It's been ages since I went to college...! Of course I might not have one...!"
"Well, it's fine. Only a few reporters will show up anyway. It's mostly just for show."
"...Really?"
Choi Sang-yun tilted his head. The amount of attention Tae-hyun received in the esports scene was no joke. He was easily one of the top players in the country—practically an icon!
"Look, reporters only care when a big-name corporation founds a new gaming team. If a tiny group of people gathers to start something on their own, nobody's going to pay attention."
"I-Is that so?"
"Probably."
Because Tae-hyun spoke with such absolute conviction, Choi Sang-yun found himself thinking, Is it? It was Tae-hyun's special talent: making utter nonsense sound incredibly plausible!
But Cain felt differently.
"Even if only a few people show up, they'll still take photos! I want to dress up and look cool!"
"...Sang-yun. When you help him pick out his clothes, make sure to double-check them. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Got it."
"Fufu... Fufufu..."
"You seem to be in a very good mood, Chairman."
"And why shouldn't I be?"
Chairman Yoo was indeed in high spirits. His precious granddaughter, whom he wouldn't trade for the world, had successfully completed her college entrance exams. On top of that, recently, that rascal Tae-hyun had actually reached out to him for help.
With this, there's no way he can reject my requests. Once the timing is right, I'll bring up the gaming team...
The news of the new gaming team that Yuseong Group was about to announce. If Tae-hyun joined them... it would be a flawless plan in every sense!
Fufu... I wonder how shocked the planning team will be when they hear this news. They'll probably say, "As expected of the Chairman!"
"Speaking of which, that friend you're so fond of made an interesting announcement today, Chairman."
"Hmm? What did he say?"
"Pardon?"
"The friend I'm fond of... Who... Wait, don't tell me..."
"That Kim Tae-hyun fellow."
"W-What? What did that punk announce?"
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over him. It was a warning signal sent by Chairman Yoo's instincts, honed through decades of corporate experience. Secretary Jeong seemed to notice this and answered hesitantly.
"He made an announcement regarding a gaming team..."
"He signed with a team?! Which bastards snatched him up?!"
Chairman Yoo was genuinely shocked. According to his sources, Tae-hyun had rejected offers from prestigious overseas teams like the New York Lions and the Boston Tigers. While those offers were undoubtedly lucrative, they suffered from the fatal flaw of being based abroad. Meanwhile, domestic teams simply couldn't match those offers due to their financial constraints.
In contrast, Yuseong Gaming, backed by Chairman Yoo's absolute support, was a domestic team capable of offering an unprecedentedly lavish contract. It was the perfect setup. So who on earth could have beaten them to the punch?!
"Well, the thing is... he didn't sign with anyone. He announced that he and his friends have founded their own gaming team."
"!!!!!"
In that instant, Chairman Yoo recalled his conversation with Tae-hyun at the charity tournament.
"Right, I'm glad you understand. No matter how much you want to play the lone wolf, there are some things in this world that simply cannot be done. In that spirit, let me give you a piece of good advice..."
"Hmm... I guess I'll just have to make my own gaming team then."
Since Tae-hyun hadn't brought it up again after that, Chairman Yoo had assumed, Well, he's only human. Surely he wouldn't do something so utterly insane, and let it slide. But he actually went ahead and did it!
"Chairman... Were you planning on bringing him into Yuseong Gaming?"
"...Yes."
"..."
Jung Ji-yong also realized that things had gone horribly awry. What were they supposed to do now?
"Proceed with the gaming team... as planned. Make sure they have proper support."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"I can't let the hard work of the people preparing this project go to waste just because of this old man's greed. It can't be helped. Proceed with the launch... and do your best to recruit the remaining players."
Suddenly, a wave of dread washed over Chairman Yoo. Why did the phrase The newly founded Yuseong Gaming... forever haunted by the icon of consecutive losses... suddenly flash through his mind?
[Kim Tae-hyun's Shock Announcement... Team KL Founded!]
[Reporters Stunned by the Sudden Announcement!]
[Already the Talk of the Town: What is Team KL's Roster?]
[Concerns Rise Over a Gaming Team Without a Corporate Sponsor...]
["We Don't Need Your Support!" Introducing Team KL]
That day, the media was completely flooded with articles about the team's founding. Nobody had expected him to reject offers from prestigious organizations just to start his own team, making the shockwave all the more massive. The online community boards were absolutely buzzing with discussions about it.