The Nongae Meta
The Baeksa Guild waiting room.
The captain was rallying his team with a fiery speech.
“We’ve been disrespected! Look at them, exposing our weaknesses for the whole world to see and asking, ‘What can you even do about it?’ If that’s not mockery, what the hell is it?!”
Teamwork. Basic respect. Pride.
Spittle flew from the captain’s mouth as he stoked the flames of anger and competitive spirit in his players. In a quiet corner, however, Seven Star Sword Biyeon sat with his eyes gently closed, his face as serene as ever.
Son of a bitch! You fucking bastard!!
Of course, that serenity didn’t reach his mind. How could it, when—
You think you can stop me…? Are you all looking down on me too?!
Right now, Biyeon’s head was completely consumed by Lee Shin’s broadcast from a few days ago.
The broadcast itself had been far more useful than he’d expected.
Rather than attacking Biyeon, the bulk of the criticism had been aimed at the guild executives who had placed an excessive burden on him. Lee Shin had also sharply pointed out how his teammates only did their own jobs despite being capable of showing so much more.
That part was fine.
Honestly, Biyeon had felt the same way even if he had never voiced it. He had endured it all for the sake of teamwork, so having someone else blow up on his behalf actually felt a little satisfying.
The problem was that the slick-faced representative didn’t know the meaning of “enough” and had gone ahead and crossed the line anyway.
“Biyeon is a swordsman. If I had to classify him, he’s a burst-damage assassin type. And these assassin types—with very few exceptions—have a chronic weakness.”
“They’re physically frail.”
The evaluation claimed he didn’t fit the rush-heavy concept the guild was currently pursuing and would be easy to kill instantly. No, even calling it an “evaluation” was irritating. Fabrication! Distortion!
Who the hell gave you permission to define me?!
Biyeon, sitting cross-legged, let out a long breath.
His expression remained calm, but the faint red tint on his earlobes revealed his irritation perfectly.
Well, it was his first time in a while explaining his specialty, so he had gotten a little excited. But Lee Shin had been surprisingly pure-hearted about it.
Clearly, Lee Shin’s goal had been to expose the guild’s incompetence. He hadn’t had the slightest intention of targeting Biyeon.
But the world rarely flows the way one wants it to.
“Seven Star Sword Biyeon is an outstanding hunter and jungler. In this unprecedented FA market, he’d probably be ranked first if we limited the category to pure junglers. That much is true. However, he has a fatal limitation. He has never once been the protagonist.”
Even if Lee Shin hadn’t meant it that way, how people interpreted it was a different story.
Biyeon had been desperate for validation to begin with. And now, sitting at a relatively disappointing seventh place compared to his name value, that desire burned even hotter.
He was undeniably an excellent jungler who had earned his reputation with an aggressive style. But when asked if he could become the core of a guild, most people simply tilted their heads and said, “Hmm…” That was the current evaluation of Seven Star Sword Biyeon.
But he couldn’t endure that suspicion forever.
He wanted to be the protagonist too.
“Hoo…!”
A second wave of irritation burst from Biyeon’s nose as a heavy snort.
He thought the assessment was extremely unfair. He couldn’t agree with it at all, and…
Damn it. No matter what, I’ll prove them wrong. And I’ll climb back up. Back to League 1.
He had ambition.
Why else had he rejected his former guild’s contract extension and taken the drastic step of moving to the second division? Money was part of it, but Biyeon wanted a squad built around himself—a squad that was truly his own.
There wasn’t a single League 1 team willing to restructure their entire roster around one player named Biyeon.
No matter what it took, he wanted to prove his worth.
And now that things had come to this, he would show them without shame.
You were wrong. Watch. Even with me as the main carry, I can show this much power!
After proving it, he would line up every single one of those bastard experts who had run their mouths and say, “Go on. Say that shit to my face again.”
That fierce determination burned in his chest.
And to do that…
First, I need to shatter it. Starting with Lee Shin’s claims…!
The audacity of that parachute who only got the representative position through connections, sitting there and defining someone who had lived in this industry his entire life.
The fact that the other side was currently the number one team in the league while his was seventh didn’t matter.
That was just bad luck.
A league is long. Being first in the middle doesn’t matter. Being first at the end is what matters.
Weren’t there teams in League 1 that held first place all spring only to mysteriously drop like rocks in the summer?
A water rocket at best… I’ll smash you to pieces.
The reason his team was in seventh place was because their dungeon raid scores were low… or so he had believed.
It couldn’t be helped that they were a little shaky in the early game since their coordination wasn’t perfect yet.
Either way, he had zero intention of rotting away here in the second division.
Biyeon clenched his fist tightly and steeled his resolve.
I have to win. This match is getting a lot of attention. If I can’t win even after they told everyone exactly how they’d play, I’ll look like a complete joke.
The victory conditions Lee Shin had declared.
1. Do not fight Biyeon within the first fifteen minutes.
2. Secure one major objective within the first fifteen minutes.
3. Drag the game out past forty minutes.
The third condition wasn’t important. The first two were the core of the match Lee Shin had proposed, and the points Biyeon needed to keep in mind.
Easy. All I have to do is fight.
The opposing jungler, Lee Hye-jung, was a utility-focused “herbivore” jungler.
Her strengths were status ailment CC and the stable initiates that came with it. Skirmishing was the last thing she was good at.
In a fight, I hold absolute superiority.
The only things he needed to watch out for were her wide-area poison and quick movement… Biyeon slightly opened his eyes and glanced down at the black walker boots he was wearing.
A unique item the representative had given him, telling him to win at least one set no matter what.
With his mobility now upgraded by an entire stage, even Lee Hye-jung’s vaunted speed would be useless.
Avoid a fight? Who do you think you’re talking to?
He had no doubt. No fear of losing.
That was why Biyeon, eyes now open, stepped through the gate with absolute confidence in victory.
·
·
However, what awaited him in the canyon was—
The canyon was thick with hazy smoke.
“This game is fucking garbage…”
* * *
“Hup!”
Lee Hye-jung burst out of the bushes and sprinted toward the escape route she had memorized.
With every step, a pale greenish poison mist erupted from her.
Right behind her came Seven Star Sword Biyeon in pursuit.
Then it happened. Light flared from the gap in the scabbard he gripped. In an instant, seven streaks of sword light tore through space and carved themselves into the air.
Immediately after—
Whiiiiiir—!!
A sound like the wind being sucked in rang out as the surroundings were sliced apart.
The forest and trees collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Naturally, Lee Hye-jung’s poison mist was scattered without a trace, unable to offer any resistance. But that didn’t mean its purpose had vanished.
The proof was Lee Hye-jung herself, who had already slipped away from the terrifying power of the Seven Star Sword and was now a good distance ahead.
That’s one.
After the strategy meeting, Lee Shin had called Lee Hye-jung aside. He had emphasized that she was the key to this round.
Seven Star Sword Biyeon would target her. It was the simplest victory plan.
How wisely she could endure that pressure would decide the match!
And Lee Hye-jung had just overcome the first crisis.
“Biyeon’s Seven Star Sword possesses considerable offensive power, but it also has a massive cost. Why do you think he obsesses over farming in the first five minutes? It’s because without that growth, he can’t unleash his full power.”
“This is exactly what you need to target relentlessly, Hye-jung.”
Biyeon gave up chasing the already distant Lee Hye-jung and turned to receive his support buff.
Besides, he had already wasted too much time. For the overall flow of the match, he needed to clear the jungle monsters now.
But—
Now!
As if she had been waiting for exactly this moment, Lee Hye-jung kicked off the tree in front of her, reversed direction, and chased after Biyeon.
“Where are you going?”
“Damn it! You annoying little fly!”
Poison mist rose around the jungle monster Biyeon was trying to kill.
First, green gas blocked his vision. Second, his body grew heavy and his movement speed dropped. And finally, the third stage.
Kwaaaah!
The jungle monster wolf was momentarily empowered by a frenzy effect.
“!!”
Biyeon blocked the wolf’s slightly faster attack with his sword and retreated. He immediately searched for Lee Hye-jung.
But she had already widened the distance and was now hanging upside down from a tree like a bat, far out of reach.
It was a maddening distance—too far to attack, yet too close to ignore.
“Let’s starve together!”
“…You damn bitch—!!”
At Lee Hye-jung’s innocent-looking provocation as she waved her hand, Biyeon felt the last thread of his reason snap.
He would catch her no matter what. He would kill her for sure!
Grinding his teeth, Biyeon launched himself forward.
Lee Hye-jung’s poison mist exploded like celebratory fireworks along his path. In an instant, the entire area was shrouded in toxic fog.
That was when it happened.
Lee Hye-jung sensed a powerful surge of magic from the mist she had spread.
“!!”
She leapt down like a cat and pressed herself flat against the dirt until her cheek nearly touched the ground. The moment she did, seven sword lights carved cracks into the space in every direction.
Goooooo—
KWAAAAAAAAANG——!!
Along with a brilliant flash of sword light, a portion of the jungle was completely erased from existence.
Indeed, the title of Seven Star Sword wasn’t given for nothing.
Seen up close, the Seven Star Sword boasted astonishing cutting power, a range that could strike from afar, and an area of effect so vast that magic might as well give up.
However.
Even while lying pathetically flat on the ground, Lee Hye-jung’s face was filled with a bright smile.
“Hehe, the truth is, the fifteen-minute mark is just a smokescreen. The real core is five minutes. In the early five minutes, Biyeon is incredible. The Seven Star Sword is incredibly strong. But why can’t he become a core in League 1? The reason is~! Ta-da! Because his mana consumption is way too high!”
“In cruder terms, you could call it premature. Sure, he can unleash one powerful burst, but who in their right mind would build a team around a dealer who can’t maintain that destructive power consistently?”
“Anyway! Once his mana buff runs out, from that moment on the guy starts rotting away second by second. No wonder he was only ever a half-measure.”
Surprisingly, Lee Shin really hadn’t had any intention of slandering Biyeon during that broadcast.
If he had wanted to attack him, he would have revealed all of this information from the start.
“In real life, even if Lee Hye-jung died and came back to life she’d have a hard time winning, but inside the ‘Canyon’ it’s different. Because ‘mana’ itself is limited there.”
“Get it? If you set the situation up properly, you can catch him this easily!”
…That’s two uses of the Seven Star Sword.
The question had been how to handle the Seven Star Sword when it displayed the overwhelming power of an early-game tyrant. That had been the second time.
He had used the mana-hungry Seven Star Sword twice already. This forcibly narrowed Biyeon’s choices to two options.
Either endure Lee Hye-jung’s harassment with his insufficient mana and somehow fulfill his role, or take the time to recall, refill his mana, and come back.
Oh, there was technically a third option—“receive help from allies in lane”—but…
“Get away from me, you pervert!”
“Who the hell wants to stick to you?!”
In the top lane, Park Jeong-seok was persistently clinging on.
“What should we do? I don’t think I can let you through. I’m sorry.”
“You… you monster.”
It was common knowledge that a monster lived in Mir Guild’s mid lane.
“I want to run! I want to bite!!”
“Tsk, just wait.”
“Uwaaaang—!”
And the bottom duo of Yu Ri-ra and the Mountain King, who wouldn’t lose to anyone in late-game carry power, were calmly tying down their opponents.
Top was in a standoff, mid was at a disadvantage, and even bottom was at a disadvantage.
All three lanes were in situations where they couldn’t afford to pay attention to the jungle.
Biyeon and Lee Hye-jung were still facing off in the brush.
In truth, the moment the team had been built around Biyeon, this outcome had been inevitable.
“What will you do? As you know, I’m perfectly fine starving together.”
“Damn it…”
Biyeon also realized how fatal the current situation was.
His strength was the overwhelming pressure and attacks using the Seven Star Sword, but his timing was getting slower and slower.
Moreover, the weight Lee Hye-jung carried in Mir Guild and the weight Biyeon carried in Baeksa Guild were on completely different scales.
If both of them were erased from the map, the remaining 4-on-4 would have an extremely low chance of victory.
And on top of that.
Ssssss——
Even in this moment of standoff, the area continued to be eroded by Lee Hye-jung’s poison mist. Biyeon grit his teeth hard.
I’m retreating to regroup.
It would be late, but it couldn’t be helped. He needed to reorganize as quickly as possible and come back to relieve the lanes.
That was what he had to do.
He was about to recall at a reasonable timing when—
Tang—!
“!!”
A thrown dagger embedded itself in the ground right in front of his feet.
“I changed my mind. After thinking about it calmly.”
They were both going to starve anyway, right?
If starving together was unconditionally beneficial for her side, then—
“There’s no need to let you go, is there?”
Lee Hye-jung smiled brightly and vanished into the poison mist.
Immediately after, more daggers flew out from within the toxic fog.
Hehe. You’re not going anywhere.