The Sanwang Pattern
Royal Sword Guild.
A tense atmosphere hung over the representative's office where the executives had gathered.
"Is this really feasible, Representative?"
"A pattern? This is the first we've heard of it."
"I don't know about this. Is it wise to provoke the Mir Guild while the Mountain King is still there?"
"Especially at this timing, right after their reputation soared thanks to that good deed. I wonder if we've just poked a hornet's nest."
The team leader on the right and the analysis team leader glared across the table at the man and woman seated opposite them, their words laced with accusation.
They were the raid captain and operations director—the masterminds behind the proposal to provoke Mir—who also formed the core of Royal Sword's raid team.
"Even if you two work on the front lines, that kind of weak-minded thinking is unacceptable!"
"We suggested it because it's doable. There's plenty of potential."
"This is the perfect moment. We bring down the Mir Guild at its peak and announce to the league that Royal Sword is gunning for the throne!"
The front-line faction and the raid faction clashed fiercely. It was a scene that perfectly encapsulated the Royal Sword Guild—an endless competition system where extreme rivalry proved one's worth.
And the woman seated at the head of the table was the one who had created this ruthless system.
Joanna Lee. From guild hunter who swallowed up other guilds through mergers and acquisitions, to the fox of the guild scene who rose to lead a major guild solely on her own merits.
Joanna snapped her fingers, silencing the commotion. She continued filing her nails as she spoke nonchalantly.
"Stop muttering about decisions that have already been made. Besides—"
Her gaze shifted toward the front-line faction.
"You've already lost your right to speak after the Hwarang incident. This time, you must cooperate unconditionally. That's our rule."
Rule number one.
Those who lose in competition must cooperate perfectly. Or rather, the more accurate term was "obey." They had to carry out every order without a single complaint.
"Still, an explanation would be in order. Operations Director."
"Yes. Here, please take these."
The man handed out documents to the front-line faction, not forgetting to add a victor's smirk. The front-line members trembled with humiliation.
The operations director then stood and began his presentation.
"Mir Guild has employed an incredibly diverse range of strategies so far."
The front-line faction's concerns weren't unfounded.
Mir Guild's strategies couldn't be pinned down to one thing. Their known tactics could be summarized as follows.
"Their basic foundation is a defensive concept centered around mid lane. They plant the monster Park Su-bin in mid for an unbreakable defense, while also betting on the late-game carry potential of superstar Yu Ri-ra."
Hold the line with a shield in mid, then win in the late game.
It was pure brute force through superior weight class.
A very simple strategy, but there was a reason "simple is best." Few strategies were as effective as matching this level of raw power.
"In reality, when Mir Guild was climbing through the ranks, many guilds fell because they couldn't overcome Mir's sheer weight class."
And once Mir Guild reached League 1, they gained three additional weapons.
The operations director folded his fingers one by one as he spoke.
"Hwarang Kim Yu-shin, Baek Yeon-woo, and the Sanwang who returned as a calamity from that era. These are Mir's new weapons."
With these three weapons added to their already solid foundation, Mir Guild became capable of countless variations.
"The change began when they acquired Baek Yeon-woo, a specialist in solo operations. This guy doesn't lose in 1v1s. We believe his performance stems from his 'copy' ability and 'weakness analysis.'"
Copy and weakness analysis.
Though only a fraction of the abilities within Cheon-an, to others it was already a performance that left them speechless.
"On top of that comes Sanwang's rejuvenation. Top-tier reconnaissance and search using multiple spirits. The supreme tree spirit Vita, which utilizes the terrain characteristics of forests and trees to their fullest. And finally, mobility restored beyond his former prime, which adds a sharp edge to Mir Guild's aggression."
And as if that weren't enough, Mir Guild added one more reliable insurance policy.
"They used Hwarang, the master of side-lane operations, as an all-purpose resource. Personally, I think it's a waste, but it's true that his activity level multiplied the weight of their strategy several times over. A clear example is how much more stable Yu Ri-ra has become."
While the first two added diversity and offensive DNA to secure victories in battle, Hwarang provided the stability essential for league competition.
"No matter how many times I look at it, it was a perfect signing. I couldn't have drawn a better picture myself. Mir's young representative was the only true winner of this year's Stove League. Everyone else was just chasing shadows."
Even as an enemy, he had to admit it.
Just how many moves ahead was he seeing...?
Ah... I can't help but worship him. The operations director closed his eyes in reverence.
The analysis team leader stared at him in disbelief.
"Hey, Operations Director. So what you're saying is that they've achieved balance in offense and defense, added strategic diversity, and even stability on top of that."
Analyzing Lee Shin's moves had become so fashionable among aspiring strategists and scouts that no one in the industry was unaware of Mir Guild's greatness.
That was exactly why the analysis team leader had been unable to say anything. There was simply no opening to exploit!
Yet the operations director had boldly declared that he'd "figured out their pattern!" And now he was worshipping Lee Shin? How absurd.
Sensing this sentiment, the operations director smiled smugly.
"You have to listen to the end in Korean. I said it was a perfect signing, not a perfect team."
"......??"
At the analysis team leader's dumbfounded expression, the operations director continued, savoring his sense of superiority.
"I said I'd identified their pattern. And that's true. Mir Guild does have its own distinct pattern."
Enhanced offensive and defensive balance. Even more diversified weapons.
Countless strategies born from that foundation.
All of it ultimately originated from one place.
"Here. Right here."
Following the operations director's pointing finger, everyone's eyes landed on a single spot—and they were all shocked.
Was this guy out of his mind?
The photograph his finger pointed to was none other than Sanwang.
"The alpha and omega of the current Mir Guild. Their weakness and their strength. The beginning and the end of every pattern. Sanwang Kim Jong-phil."
The Yongbung-i say it.
Sanwang is a god, and Lee Shin is invincible.
To the raid team, Lee Shin is Sanwang, and to the front line, Sanwang is Lee Shin.
That was how deep the connection between these partners ran.
Perhaps because of this, Mir Guild's strategic dependence on Sanwang was far greater than that of other guilds.
"This is what we need to target. If we can shut Sanwang's mouth, the dragon stops. And the proof is in this footage."
The screen lit up.
It was the legendary performance of Sanwang's return in the first set of the opening match of Round 1.
But the operations director had caught the hidden fact behind the flashy performance.
"If you think about this match, the other members besides Sanwang were quiet, weren't they?"
You could call it solid. You could even call it stable.
But the truth was, if you exaggerated a little, they had been utterly unremarkable.
"In the very next game, Sanwang's momentum was noticeably dampened. Interestingly, that's when Mir Guild began to shine in all sorts of ways."
Whenever Sanwang's mouth was shut or he couldn't pay attention to his surroundings for whatever reason, Mir Guild's patterns became noticeably simpler. That was the pattern the operations director had discovered.
The analysis team leader and team leader turned their eyes to Representative Joanna. At their questioning looks that seemed to ask, "Representative, is this right?", Joanna Lee, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
"I know. I know it's a bit of a stretch."
In truth, the pattern the operations director had found was no different from saying, "Huh? In a team fight? If top, mid, and bottom all win, you win the game, right?"
It was something everyone already knew!
You knew it, I knew it, every other guild knew it!
But why couldn't they do it? Simple.
Because it was Sanwang. Because no one could trouble Sanwang (ver. Rejuvenation)!
But it was worth attempting.
"We have a brain on par with Sanwang, don't we? Right, Miss Yeo?"
"Of course. I've been waiting for this day for so long."
If Sanwang was the greatest commander of the legendary era, then the commander representing the next generation was this woman.
Strong and valiant, yet more cunning and persistent than anyone when it came to battle.
The incarnation of competitive spirit. The warrior of victory.
Rank 7. Guardian Yeo Eun-seo.
"To think I can face the respected Sanwang-nim in the canyon again. How delightful. I feel like I might cry from joy."
Though she spoke of delight, a chilling aura rippled around her.
Back when Sanwang was in Kirin Guild, Yeo Eun-seo had been called a commander who represented Korea alongside him—but as the "to be" in "to represent" implied, she had always been overshadowed by Sanwang in reality.
Even when her flexible operational skills earned her praise as a generational genius, the first thing people said was, "She's good, but not as good as Sanwang, right?" And even when she led Royal Sword to the upper ranks, she was called the "post-Sanyang."
Even the mockery that followed any defeat labeled her a budget Sanwang, a minor version of Sanwang, and so on.
That was why Guardian Yeo Eun-seo wanted to break this frame.
"I won't just make him lose his mind. I'll devour him completely."
This time, she would definitely catch him!
Guardian Yeo Eun-seo's eyes gleamed sharply.
"Then let's start with the media play."
The core message of the media play was that if Sanwang stopped, Mir would stop. It was a simple provocation, but one with considerable persuasive power.
Especially since it was more than enough fuel to ignite the happy circuits of Royal Sword (abbreviated as Rosso) fans.
Because they had Guardian on their side.
In fact, Guardian's value had skyrocketed precisely because she hadn't been outmaneuvered by Sanwang of Kirin Guild in operational battles.
Otherwise, why would Kirin Guild have tried to recruit her the moment Sanwang left?
Even if she couldn't win outright, if she could at least hold her own, there was no way Rank 7 Guardian couldn't manage it. And Royal Sword Guild's weapons weren't limited to just her.
Rank 14. Light Sword Jong-yu.
Originally called Light Sword for his dazzling sword of light, he was Royal Sword Guild's second blade—nicknamed Mad Sword in actual matches due to his insanely aggressive style.
The fans placed their hopes on the synergy between Guardian and Light Sword. The two had occasionally created miracles that were hard to comprehend.
With the topic gaining traction, how could the media resist adding their own spoonful? Especially when the opponent was the Mir Guild, whose stock was currently soaring!
What lent weight to the argument was that Guardian could do what Sanwang did.
Because Mir Guild was so overwhelmingly strong, they chose their words carefully, but the more they analyzed, the more the conclusion converged on the same point.
It might actually be possible...?
And the result was...
...
...
Guardian Yeo Eun-seo has slain Sanwang Kim Jong-phil!