The Shocking Opening Lineup
In Busan’s Yeongdo district, Mir City was waking up before dawn.
Shop shutters rattled upward one after another. Restaurants serving steaming gukbap, hearty set meals, and fresh hoe were joined by chicken joints, pig’s-foot specialists, and bars that normally opened in the evening—all of them raising their gates with energetic determination.
Merchants who had just flipped on their lights grabbed brooms and swept the streets without needing to be told. They cleaned every inch, leaving not a single speck of dust behind. Flower beds received the same meticulous care; hidden trash was plucked away, benches were wiped down, and streetlamps gleamed.
By the time they finished, stalls and chairs had already been neatly arranged. Popcorn machines, grilled-squid grills, cotton-candy carts, and even the last-of-the-season tanghulu stands appeared. What stood out most on every stall was the menu board.
The prices were written in letters so large that even an elementary-school child could read them from across the street.
“People complain that regional festivals overcharge these days, right? Don’t forget—we’re not here for a one-season hustle. From now on, we’ll enjoy this kind of special event every year, every season.”
“Let’s think about our image. No matter how good the product is, a bad first impression turns people off. Leaving a good impression is what brings long-term profit. Do you understand?”
The saying that a well-raised guild revives the region was true. But the locals had to match that effort. They had to set aside greed and talk about mutual prosperity.
This price list had been born from exactly that kind of meeting—Mir Guild, the local merchants, and the district office—all under Lee Shin’s direction. The prices were reasonable, the same level you’d find in any ordinary neighborhood restaurant rather than a tourist trap.
By the time preparations to welcome guests were complete, the dawn sky had begun to reclaim its light. The warm morning sun wrapped the area in a gentle glow, revealing Mir City’s picture-perfect scenery.
And the moment the sun rose, buses and cars poured in from the far side of the city.
“They’re here!!”
“Everyone, get those flags up first!”
With a sharp snap, flags shot upward in front of shops, beside bridges, and everywhere in between.
They fluttered proudly. Beneath the emblem showing Mir Guild’s dragon locked in battle with Haemu Guild’s turtle were bold letters.
That’s right.
Today was the opening match.
“Welcome!!”
* * *
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—
A cameraman filmed from a helicopter high above. The shot captured the endless stream of people and vehicles stretching from Busan Station all the way to Yeongdo, their smiling faces, and the festive atmosphere that had taken over the entire city.
The footage fed live to the Mir City observatory where filming was in full swing.
It was GWL Game Day, a program created by Nutube TV after signing a massive contract with Mir Guild to commemorate their first entry into the Korea League.
“Babe, Part Two opens with the helicopter shot.”
“Mmm~!”
“Part One’s reactions are completely insane. But it still feels a little too public-broadcast, you know? Loosen up more—like that American show you referenced. You feel me?”
“Mmm.”
“The analysts are going to stay serious, so I need you to crank the energy way up!”
“Mmm mmm!”
The woman making an OK sign with her fingers while receiving a final touch of makeup was Park Ye-jin. Currently the most popular announcer in Korea, her nickname was “Goddess of the League.”
As the commercial ended, the PD gave the signal.
“Action!”
The camera light flashed on.
Park Ye-jin flashed her signature goddess smile straight into the lens.
“We’re kicking off Part Two of Game Day, broadcasting live from Busan’s Yongwanggung! Wow~ Can you feel this heat? The entire city has turned into a festival! Are those passionate fan cheers only reaching my ears? It’s so hot~! I don’t think I can stand it~!”
Fanning herself theatrically, Park Ye-jin smoothly transitioned into the second segment on the PD’s cue.
“As we mentioned earlier, Part Two will focus on analyzing both guilds’ power. And once again, Game Day has pulled off something huge. I never dreamed I’d be able to seat these two legends together. Allow me to introduce them—Analyst Im Cho-rong and Analyst Jen!”
“Hello. I’m Analyst Im Cho-rong.”
“Greetings, everyone. First an idol, then a hunter, and now an analyst—Jen at your service!”
“If you watch the league, you surely already know these two, but since this is our first broadcast, let’s do proper introductions. These two are the flagship analysts for the three major analysis channels, Over the Game and Hunter’s Eye. In other words, only Nutube TV could have brought them together like this—boom!!”
Park Ye-jin blew a heart with both hands. Jen copied the gesture smoothly. Im Cho-rong hesitated with an awkward “Do I really have to?” before clumsily crossing her thumb and index finger.
“Now, let’s dive into the real analysis. Simple power breakdowns are boring, so how about each of you takes one guild? Think of it like you’re the representative for that team today. Sound good?”
“Hmm… I like it.”
“This should be fun. I’ll take Haemu Guild.”
“If Analyst Jen has Haemu, then Analyst Im Cho-rong will cover Mir Guild.”
“Understood.”
Jen went first. He summed up Haemu Guild with a single word.
ASSASSINS
“Haemu Guild centers around the assassin-type mid Akii and the aggressive jungler Park Ho-su. Every lane except top possesses stealth and assassination capabilities.”
Jungle, mid, ADC, and support—all assassin classes. All four could stealth.
The strengths of assassin compositions were speed, agility, evasion, and devastating single-target burst. Their weaknesses were low health, paper-thin defenses, and vulnerability in full 5v5 team fights.
“To compensate, Haemu Guild stubbornly insists on small-scale skirmishes only, and they execute this style with incredible perfection.”
Average 5v5 team fights per set: 0.4.
4v4: 0.7. 3v3: 1.7.
In contrast, 2v2 engagements—where assassin synergy truly exploded—reached a staggering 17.4 per set.
“The key statistic here is large objective acquisition rate: 71.8%. This is crucial. It proves Haemu Guild isn’t just good at fighting—they know how to operate.”
Even if they lingered in the mid-to-lower ranks, a major guild was still a major guild. Staying in the league without relegation meant they possessed real skill.
“Haemu Guild is a team that intelligently cooks games using only small-scale fights. Once they gain momentum, they can beat anyone.”
“I remember—they actually stole a set from Kirin Guild last season, right?”
“Exactly. They’re strong against the weak and can land blows against the strong. Haemu Guild carries both the DNA of underdog-crushing and giant-killing.”
Park Ye-jin clapped, and Im Cho-rong joined her. Even she had to admit it was a perfect summary.
Now it was Mir Guild’s turn. Like Jen, Im Cho-rong captured them in one word.
IRON WALL
“Every Mir Guild strategy begins from an ironclad defense. They plant the monster Park Su-bin—mid-tower defense rate of 94.3%—in the center and crush opponents with Sanwang Kim Jong-pil’s masterful tactics.”
As seen in the final match against League 2, Mir Guild trusted Park Su-bin’s defense, operated organically around the mid lane, and ultimately overwhelmed enemies in 5v5 team fights. It was an extremely defensive guild.
“The strength of this style is its reliability. It doesn’t falter against any strategy and guarantees above-average win rates. The weaknesses, however, are obvious. They start slow and can lose helplessly against superior weight-class opponents.”
No need to look far—the loss in the first set of the finals had been exactly that.
After listing a few more points, Im Cho-rong scratched her head and pulled back.
“Honestly, I have so much more I want to say about Mir Guild, but I can’t. There simply isn’t enough data yet.”
Park Ye-jin jumped in as if she had been waiting for exactly those words.
“That’s why we prepared our second segment! Position-by-position power comparison! Normally we’d compare each role individually, but given Mir Guild’s special circumstances today, let’s start by filling out Mir Guild’s side first!”
Both analysts nodded.
“Shall we begin with mid?”
“Mid is a monster.”
“Park Su-bin. No debate possible.”
No matter how brilliant Sanwang’s tactics were, the biggest reason Mir Guild had climbed to League 1 was this young man who had yet to turn twenty. Removing a world-class defensive mid like him would be pure foolishness.
“Nice. Then ADC?”
“Obviously Yu Ri-ra.”
“There’s no one else.”
If Park Su-bin was the shield for both Mir and Sanwang, Yu Ri-ra was the gun—the weapon that would pierce the enemy’s heart and deliver victory.
“Fast, but I already know it’ll slow down from here. Let’s move to support.”
“…Sanwang Kim Jong-pil.”
“Holy healer Seo Ye-na.”
When asked to explain, the two analysts turned to each other and began to debate.
“This is League 1’s opening match. I believe Sanwang should stay beside Yu Ri-ra until she adapts to the league’s pace.”
“I disagree. Sanwang has already been freed from his previous obligations. Placing him in the support role is a clear waste of resources. He belongs in the jungle, his original position.”
“I know Sanwang is stronger in the jungle. His jungle pathing is still considered the textbook standard. However, I believe stabilizing Yu Ri-ra’s firepower is more critical to Mir Guild’s success.”
“I believe that protective role should be entrusted to Seo Ye-na. Why are holy healers called the nobles among nobles? Because they can grant blessings and dispel status ailments. Even if their power is restricted in competitive play, their healing remains extremely valuable.”
Neither side yielded an inch. The longer the debate continued, the brighter the PD’s smile grew.
This. This was exactly why they had invited these two.
“Wow, it’s getting fiery! Named analysts really are on another level. All right! Let’s move straight to the most controversial position—the jungle!”
“Lee Hye-jung as is.”
“Sanwang Kim Jong-pil.”
The reasoning followed the same lines as before. While Jen focused on the need for “adaptation” in a League 1 debut, Im Cho-rong emphasized “maximization” of the team’s abilities.
Jen immediately countered.
“Everything sounds good, but Analyst Im Cho-rong seems to be underestimating League 1. The pressure on this stage is completely different from League 3 or even League 2. I firmly believe an adaptation period is necessary.”
“On the contrary, I think Analyst Jen doesn’t fully understand Mir Guild yet. The reason they adopted a defensive style in the first place was precisely because it maximizes the team’s overall potential.”
The passionate debate continued.
Park Ye-jin decided it was time to ease the tension and moved on.
“Then for top lane.”
“Hwarang Kim Yu-shin.”
“Hwarang Kim Yu-shin.”
“…I figured. No disagreement here.”
The answers came instantly. As Park Ye-jin said, this position had no room for debate.
Im Cho-rong spoke first this time.
“It makes no sense to bench a world-class top laner and use someone else.”
“I believe Hwarang is severely underrated. He’s currently ranked 16th, correct? In my opinion he belongs in the top ten at minimum.”
“If I’m being completely honest, among top laners only, I consider Hwarang the best in the league.”
There were many solid top laners. Many intelligent ones. Many aggressive ones. Many devoted ones.
But one who possessed all those qualities? Almost none. Not using him would be foolish.
As the discussion drew to a close, Park Ye-jin asked for final thoughts.
“Lastly, please each give us one key point to watch for in today’s opening match. Analyst Jen?”
“In my view, the core question is whether Mir Guild can adapt to League 1’s speed.”
The only reason League 1 was called the majors was because both speed and energy levels here were on an entirely different plane. That was why most analysts predicted they would only add the veteran Hwarang rather than make drastic roster changes.
“If Haemu Guild can use their signature split-assassination tactics to keep Mir Guild off-balance, they should be able to secure an easy victory.”
Park Ye-jin nodded and turned to the other analyst.
“Analyst Im Cho-rong?”
“Surprisingly, I believe the key lies with Haemu Guild’s Park Jeong-seok.”
The role they would give him would likely resemble Hwarang’s. While his assassin teammates created chaos in small fights, he would apply relentless side-lane pressure, forcing the opponent to make difficult choices.
“Haemu Guild’s own representative went on air to praise him personally. He carries enormous expectations. If he performs up to those expectations, today’s win—and the outcome of the previous Stove League’s big trade—will both belong to Haemu Guild.”
“That’s right! And don’t forget, this is a rematch between Hwarang and Park Jeong-seok right after their showdown in the promotion finals!”
“Now that you mention it, that’s another great storyline. I’m curious what both top laners gained during the Stove League.”
With that high-level discussion on GWL Game Day, the curtain finally rose on the opening match.
* * *
…And the moment the opening match began,
both analysts dropped the drinks they had been sipping in perfect unison.
⊳ MID — Monster Park Su-bin
⊳ JUNGLE — Sanwang Kim Jong-pil
⊳ ADC — Yu Ri-ra
⊳ SUPPORT — Hwarang Kim Yu-shin
⊳ TOP — Baek Yeon-woo (19)
Official player registration: This morning.
The entire broadcast chat exploded.