No Safe Haven
“Come to think of it, America doesn't seem very safe either,” Choi Sang-yun chimed in from the side.
Anti-fans amassed across borders! America was no exception. There were countless players there who had fallen victim to Tae-hyun in Pan-On 1.
“You’re seriously lucky you live in Korea...”
“Shut it.”
Tae-hyun quickly silenced the two of them. Behind them, the staff members following the group were whispering among themselves.
“Does Player Kim Tae-hyun really have that many enemies?”
“I thought he had an incredibly good public image?”
This was the key difference between ordinary people and Pan-On rankers! When ordinary people heard Tae-hyun's name, they reacted with, “Oh, Kim Tae-hyun? That super popular player from Pan-On?” But rankers reacted with, “Oh, Kim Tae-hyun? *Gasp!*”
“But do we really need all these staff members?”
“Of course we do. When we go on broadcast, do you want to be the only one showing up with a bare face? Actually, wait. Let's have only you go on with a bare face. That would be hilarious.”
“No way! I want makeup! Let me get my makeup done!”
Unlike massive gaming organizations, Tae-hyun's team was kept to an absolute bare minimum. They didn't have dedicated stylists or coordinators! Because of this, for this trip, Tae-hyun had asked CEO Lee Dong-pal to introduce some of his acquaintances, whom they were now bringing along.
“Do other teams have people like this?”
“It depends on their size, but usually, large gaming organizations keep them on staff.”
The scale of esports organizations varied wildly. Long-standing, massive clubs possessed everything from personal stylists and coordinators to all kinds of welfare facilities. Looking at the facilities of the Beijing Fighters or the Shanghai Pandas, who had recently received astronomical investments, would make anyone's jaw drop!
On the other hand, many small-scale teams operated under truly abysmal conditions. Under the constant fear that their team might be disbanded any day, those players had to focus on their games while eating the bread of sorrow. It wasn't for nothing that teams desperately clung to corporate investments and sponsorships.
In that sense, Tae-hyun's team was an exceptional case—one of the smallest teams in existence, yet running incredibly smoothly! It was only possible because of the team's sheer name value and undeniable track record. Thanks to Tae-hyun's non-stop carry performances, all kinds of advertisements and sponsorships were practically pouring in...
“Huh? Aren't we doing super well too? Why don't we have any of that?”
“...You do realize I'm saving that money to give it all to you guys, right?”
If players from other teams saw Team KL's distribution system, their eyes would have popped out of their heads. The owner has lost his mind! That was the only way to describe a split like this. Normally, an esports organization took a certain percentage of all incoming revenue. Since the team provided support and infrastructure, that was only natural.
But Tae-hyun didn't do that. He was a team owner who gave endlessly!
“Do you guys even go on broadcasts often, or do you promote the team with your faces? I figured hiring full-time staff wouldn't be cost-effective, so I'm doing it this way... But hey, if you want me to dock your pay to hire them permanently, I can certainly arrange that.”
None of the players on Tae-hyun's team had risen to fame because of their real-life looks. While there were indeed famous Pan-On players who garnered attention for their real faces, that was definitely not the case for Team KL!
So what of it!
“Tae-hyun. I have absolutely no complaints.”
“I have no complaints either, Senior.”
“I-I don't have any complaints either!”
Finding himself left as the sole holdout, Cain quickly spoke up.
“Ah. Did Player Cain just get in the way of us getting hired?”
“I-I'm sorry...”
At the stylist's joke, Cain shrank back with a dejected face.
“I'm just kidding. I have plenty of work to do anyway.”
“Yeah. That's definitely true.”
Choi Sang-yun nodded. He had heard of this stylist's skills long ago. She was the magician who had transformed Tae-hyun's impression from a 'nasty-looking bastard' to a 'sharp, handsome guy'! If she played Pan-On, she undoubtedly would have started with a Highest rank in Art or Disguise.
“...Your eyes look weird. What are you thinking about?”
“Uh... I was just thinking about what to do when we get the prize money!”
“You're already more interested in the spoils than the battle. Focus on the game.”
At Tae-hyun's words, Cain stealthily slipped his phone away. On the screen, a question had been posted.
“Listen carefully. Lee Se-yeon is definitely plotting some wicked scheme we can't even fathom—”
“Whoa! It's a private jet!”
“Did Pan-On send this for us?”
At the sight of the private jet waiting ahead, the group's eyes completely rolled back, cutting off Tae-hyun's speech!
“Do you guys want to die?”
“S-Sorry.”
“We're listening!”
“Listen carefully. Kim Tae-hyun is definitely plotting some wicked scheme we can't even fathom.”
“Captain?”
“What is it?”
“Player Kim Tae-hyun is a fair and honorable—”
“Someone shut his mouth.”
“Mmph, mmph!”
Ryu Tae-su, Tae-hyun's diehard fan, had his mouth promptly stuffed.
“But we don't need to get swept up in Kim Tae-hyun's pace. Fortunately, for this tournament, we just need to focus on our own work.”
Lee Se-yeon remained cold and analytical. Rather than losing her pace by constantly worrying about what Tae-hyun was up to, it was far wiser to focus on what they had practiced.
‘Lich transformation, special undead... we should be able to shave off several stages of time.’
The trend of this dungeon raid tournament was: How quickly can you gather and clear the monsters?
Explosive items were a powerful answer to that question! However, as everyone knew, bombs were items with various drawbacks. Only the teams that could effectively cover those drawbacks could produce results and climb the ranks.
Tae-hyun was so proficient with bombs that he was called the father of the Engineering meta, and he used that expertise to cover the drawbacks. In the first place, the bomb boom would never have happened without Tae-hyun.
Lee Se-yeon covered the drawbacks of bombs using her specialty: the undead. By feeding bombs to special undead, she could use them stably!
Both had secured their respective methods. Now, it was a battle of how much time they could shave off from there!
Lee Se-yeon planned to mobilize all the buff skills she had been saving to strengthen her undead, and with the strength of her teammates, drastically reduce their clear time.
She didn't know how much of their true skill Tae-hyun's team had hidden in the semifinals, but she definitely had a shot at winning!
Lee Da-bi closed her eyes, studying the tournament strategy in her head. She had done this countless times, but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous. This was a performance that would be shown to tens of millions of people worldwide! Any mistake would be permanently recorded.
“By the way, what are you going to do when you get the prize money?” Tae-hyun asked Lee Da-bi.
Startled out of her concentration, Lee Da-bi blinked. “Pardon??”
“No, I mean, what are you going to do with the prize money? Was that really such a shocking question?”
“No, I was just thinking about something else...”
“Wait, why do you ask Lee Da-bi like that, but when it comes to me...” Cain grumbled.
Immediately, Choi Sang-yun and Jeong Su-hyeok cut him off.
“Shut up.”
“Mr. Cain, please shut up.”
“?!?!”
Even Jeong Su-hyeok?! Cain slumped back, completely silenced.
“I was thinking of looking for a house,” Lee Da-bi said.
“Oh?” Tae-hyun was surprised. “Are you moving out?”
“Yes... I can't keep imposing on you forever.”
In reality, Lee Da-bi was one of the highest earners among Tae-hyun's group. She didn't just have her income as a player; she also had the revenue generated from running the massive Power Warrior Guild.
“But isn't it better here? The facilities are great, and the view is amazing.”
“Well, of course, but...”
Lee Da-bi looked at him with an expression that said, What on earth is this man talking about?
Naturally, in terms of facilities and comfort, very few places could compare to their current residence. It was one of the most expensive properties in Korea!
“Still, continuing to live there rent-free feels a bit much.”
“I told you last time, I really don't mind. Besides, your sisters love it there. They said they want to stay forever.”
“What? What do you mean... Did they actually say that?!”
Realizing something, Lee Da-bi whipped her head around to glare at her younger sisters.
Sitting in the back and staring out the window, the sisters quickly averted their eyes, pretending to know nothing.
Tae-hyun had brought them along for this tournament. Lee Da-bi had repeatedly warned them, Don't cause trouble for Tae-hyun,Don't ask Tae-hyun for things, and In fact, just don't even talk to Tae-hyun first! Seriously! But those warnings had been entirely useless.
Tae-hyun himself went out of his way to take care of them! To her sisters, Tae-hyun was already their older sister's boyfriend.
“Well, I can't stop you from buying a house. There's no investment quite like real estate, after all.”
“N-No, that's not what I meant. I just didn't want to be a burden...”
True to his father's bloodline, Tae-hyun interpreted her words in his own strange way.
“But a house is a bit too grand. Is there anything else?”
“Hmm... buying gifts for my sisters...”
“And?”
“A gift for you, Tae-hyun...”
“...I appreciate it, but is there nothing for yourself?”
“Ah. I guess there isn't.”
Tae-hyun stared at Lee Da-bi in sheer disbelief. Lee Da-bi awkwardly looked away. Whether it was the older sister or the younger ones, they all did the exact same thing when put on the spot!
“Forget the house or anything else, I think you need to start taking care of yourself first.”
“But I'm perfectly happy right now...”
Lee Da-bi meant it. She had never been this happy or at peace in her entire life. She had no worries, and she had a reliable person by her side.
“Forget my gift, let's buy something you'll actually use.”
“But there's really nothing I need...”
“No, look around and you'll find something. Look at Cain over there. He's completely honest with his desires. Did you see him earlier? He can't even drive, yet he's planning to buy a car with the prize money. Honestly, he should be thinking about a house first...”
“W-W-When did you see that?!”
Cain felt a chill run down his spine. This guy's field of vision was seriously terrifying...!
“How do I look?”
“You look great, sir.”
“Do I look dignified? Sharp? Do I have an aura?”
“......”
If he weren't his boss, he would have punched him!
Yoon Ju-hwan ground his teeth as he stared at Team Leader Choi Myung-sung.
Choi Myung-sung was undoubtedly a highly capable individual. He was an expert in both artificial intelligence and gaming, and his reputation in the industry had been stellar even before joining the company. Because of his caliber, even though he was working in Korea during the Pan-On project, he was scouted to take on the role of Team Leader!
There was a time when Yoon Ju-hwan had actually admired Choi Myung-sung.
—A Korean engineer making a name for himself abroad!
—One of the top 50 young scientists of the next generation!
Of course, that admiration vanished the moment he joined the company. A narrow-minded, timid, and incredibly annoying human being! Yet, because he was actually competent, it only made him even more of a hassle to deal with.
“This finals will be the event that seals the deal.”
The developers of Pan-On intended to make sure no other game could even look up at Pan-On for the next decade or so. They were going to solidify its reputation as the most popular game in the world! Naturally, they had prepared accordingly. From the stadium itself to all kinds of events, everything was meticulously planned. Having a famous singer who had topped the Billboard charts perform was just a tiny, insignificant tip of the iceberg.
“We need to slap the Super Bowl across the face three times!”
Expectations were so high that this saying openly circulated within the company. It was only natural that they treated the finalist teams with the utmost hospitality. The higher the prestige of the participating teams, the higher the prestige of the tournament itself.
Pan-On had not only provided private jets but had also rented out entire luxury hotels right in front of the stadium.
“Who will go to greet Team KL?”
“I've always wanted to meet Player Kim Tae-hyun. May I go?”
“If it's alright, I would like to go as well.”
The team leaders politely raised their hands. They were all highly interested in Tae-hyun. After all, the team leaders in charge of the Pan-On project basically had a deep, fundamental interest in artificial intelligence and gaming! As long as they cared about games, it was impossible not to be interested in Tae-hyun. They wanted to meet him at least once and have a conversation!
Of course, because they were sensible, professional adults, they raised their hands politely and cordially.
*Thud!*
Choi Myung-sung slammed both hands onto the table.
“Everyone!”
“Do not bid on the Kim Tae-hyun that I have already bid on!!”
The other team leaders stared at Choi Myung-sung with expressions that said, That psycho is at it again. The team leaders who had raised their hands slowly lowered them.
Choi Myung-sung immediately bowed his head.
“...I'm counting on you. Don't do anything weird.”
“Haha. What kind of person do you take me for?”