The Gathering of the Masters
“Whaaat?! An under-25 league?!”
Chae Dong-ha’s startled voice exploded inside the Mir Guild representative office, growing louder by the second.
“You’re joking, right?! Come on, it has to be a joke. That’s just a rookie league! You’re saying we’re turning a rookie league into an entire country’s main league? Does that even make sense? What on earth were you thinking?!”
Lee Shin’s proposal, boiled down, was simple: the corrupt Saudi league had no future. Better to shut it down themselves and replace it with an under-25 rookie league.
—Isn’t that the idea?
“You know how ridiculous that sounds, don’t you? Of course you do! There’s no way you don’t! Then why—why on earth would you say that to the Saudi crown prince without a shred of fear?!”
Rolling around on the floor at the opening ceremony was child’s play compared to this. This was a full-blown disaster waiting to happen.
In his mind’s eye, Chae Dong-ha was already being dragged before the crown prince, groveling on his knees and desperately trying to clean up the mess. His body trembled at the thought.
Lee Shin looked thoroughly pleased with the explosive reaction.
“Human, don’t look so pleased with yourself!”
…He smiled brightly and turned to Yun Cho-a.
“Your boyfriend’s saying all that. What do you think, sis?”
“I don’t know as much about leagues as the vice leader does.”
“Come on, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Just speak freely.”
“Then……”
She paused to organize her thoughts before speaking.
“From what I’ve heard, it seems quite reasonable in terms of fulfilling each party’s needs.”
“No, Cho-a! That’s impossible!”
“Please don’t raise your voice, Vice Leader. I’m speaking with the representative right now.”
“……”
“Kuh, Cho-a noona is the best! Absolute legend!”
“Let me rephrase. After listening to the representative’s explanation, it appears this matter involves a great many intertwined interests.”
First, there was Saudi Arabia itself.
Next would be the Bureau.
And then the under-25 hunters—the so-called rookies—would be deeply involved.
Lee Shin cut in, adding one more point.
“Throw the guilds in there too.”
“The guilds as well?”
“Of course. You don’t think the hunters we’d be sending are all free agents, do you? Most of them will probably belong to some guild.”
“……Then?”
“Loans, Cho-a. The existing guilds will send their young talents on loan.”
“Ah……!”
“Hmm, let’s try to sort this out properly.”
Dong-ha hyung.
At Lee Shin’s call, Chae Dong-ha wordlessly brought over a whiteboard.
Lee Shin wrote “Saudi” and “Bureau” in large letters across it.
“We’ll spare Yun Cho-a the heavy lifting. I’ve narrowed it down to the two core points. Let’s begin our discussion class. Yun Cho-a, what do you think Saudi Arabia stands to gain from this rookie league?”
“The most immediate benefit would be purging corruption.”
“That’s a very important part. Ten points to Yun Cho-a.”
Purging.
Cleaning it all away.
Eradicating corruption wasn’t as simple as it sounded. It wasn’t enough to just punish the ones who had been skimming off the top. Trash always existed, and if you didn’t remove the root cause, new trash would simply take its place.
Back in his lower-league days, even Lee Shin had caused quite a stir when he dismantled the cartels among the regional suppliers, hadn’t he?
The Saudi league was filled with corruption and malpractice that made those cartels look cute by comparison. Even Lee Shin, who always found the right answer, had thought it faster to just wipe the slate clean.
To purge it all in one stroke and create an entirely new playing field? That was far more impressive than it first appeared.
“There’s also the matter of repairing their damaged image. And as you mentioned, they could replenish their fundamental strength.”
A pet league for the nouveau riche. A retirement home for has-beens.
By infusing it with the youth and passion of rookies, they could wash away that stigma in one go and begin building a new image for the next generation.
We are a young league. Saudi Arabia stands with the young.
It aligned perfectly with Saudi Arabia’s existing policies aimed at the younger demographic.
Each of these favorable impressions would accumulate until they became the very foundation of the league.
“That’s all I can think of for now.”
“Excellent, Yun Cho-a. Now it’s Dong-ha’s turn.”
“Differentiating themselves from other non-mainstream leagues.”
“Ooh~ As expected of our SS-grade genius leader.”
This was also crucial.
The gap between mainstream and non-mainstream leagues was enormous.
It wasn’t determined solely by player salaries, individual talent, or league scale.
Years of accumulated tradition and culture, the resulting infrastructure, and human resources—these were what truly separated the two.
That was why every non-mainstream league dreamed of shedding the “non-” label.
Yet here was Saudi Arabia, the first nation to fully commit to a rookie league. They could quietly remove that label.
“Being first matters. The second or third won’t receive the same treatment.”
“Exactly. First place is special. Kuh, good. That’s a really important point. So what’s the last one?”
“There’s more……?”
“……Confiscating that SS-grade brain.”
The final point.
Lee Shin’s pen danced across the whiteboard.
Interaction with other mainstream leagues.
“Interaction?”
“You said ‘loan’ earlier, didn’t you?”
“Ah……!!”
“Squads aren’t infinite. Starters and substitutes are fixed. First and second teams are fixed. And the higher the level of the mainstream league, the higher that wall becomes.”
Even in Korea, the average age of starting hunters in the Champions League hovered around thirty. That was considered relatively young.
For reference, the highest average age was in the European leagues—mid-thirties to early forties.
Because they valued strategic acumen so highly, young hunters who were physically gifted but still unpolished received harsh evaluations.
“This is the part that concerns both the hunters and the guilds. Young hunters in mainstream leagues want more opportunities. They’re confident in their abilities. Guilds need a stage to develop and evaluate them. If they want to push out the current starters, they need justification and a legitimate reason.”
“Saudi Arabia would provide that……”
“Right. We don’t have to look far—there’s Soo-pil. He’d struggle to start in a mainstream league, but in a non-mainstream league, he could play as a starter anytime.”
“He wants real match experience.”
“If Saudi Arabia offered to cover his salary and asked for a loan in this situation?”
“Even from a guild’s perspective, that would be tempting.”
“Right! Did you understand too, Cho-a?”
“Yes. The example with Hunter Choi Soo-pil made it perfectly clear.”
“If they handle this interaction well, Saudi Arabia will occupy a far more significant position in this league than anyone expects. Remember that.”
Then he moved on.
Lee Shin circled “Bureau” on the whiteboard.
“Cho-a.”
“They could provide jobs for the rookies. Among them, some brilliant talents would emerge, which the Bureau would welcome, given their preference for fresh faces.”
“Very good.”
Young blood. Fresh hunters.
That was exactly what the Bureau craved.
In this situation, they were being handed young, fresh rookies who could inject competition into the league, along with an entire league for them to shine in?
And the crown prince was pouring money into it with proper backing?
The Bureau would be salivating.
“Dong-ha.”
“If the Bureau sees the rookie league the way you described, they might attempt something more ambitious. Like a test league of sorts.”
“SS-grade, reinstated.”
This connected naturally to the first point.
Why did the Bureau want young blood and fresh hunters? Ultimately, to grow the league.
To maintain public interest and support, the league had to become more entertaining. And entertainment came from competition.
A fierce league!
Change was essential for the league itself. Adjusting the number of matches every year, introducing the “Competitive Gate Conquest” last year—all of it stemmed from this.
“I’ll wrap this up.”
Scratch, scratch.
A warning to leagues worldwide.
“Ah…… South America, right?”
“Right!”
After the South American incident, the Bureau had taken a hard look at every league.
Rather than granting seeding rights to a stagnant South American league, wouldn’t it be better to give opportunities to other countries?
Korea, in particular, was a single league yet generated more interest and higher standards than several South American nations combined. Logically, for the sake of league popularity, giving them more seeding rights made sense.
“The Bureau had been doubting the competitiveness of non-mainstream leagues. That’s why they’re even discussing seeding rights for you.”
“It’s a punishment.”
“Right. Either way, the optics are that the Bureau is shutting down the league.”
Just as Saudi Arabia would build its foundation on youth, the Bureau saw this as an opportunity to inject tension into a lax global league through change.
The rookie league—officially named the Saudi Neom League.
Chae Dong-ha put on the brakes.
“All of that sounds good. Building a foundation with youth? Creating tension through change? It’s all fine, but my opinion hasn’t changed from the start. Is this even possible? What I mean is, can a rookie league even achieve mainstream popularity in the first place?”
He was right.
Lee Shin’s consulting for this rookie league rested on one prerequisite.
Popularity—the very word that had just left Chae Dong-ha’s mouth.
“Only with global popularity would mainstream leagues send their rookies, and only then would the rookies themselves want to go to Saudi Arabia. Whether the Bureau tests it or not would naturally depend on the success or failure of that popularity.”
The problem was this.
You couldn’t discuss league popularity without hunters.
Performance mattered, but the public was far more drawn to hunters with star power. Even performance ultimately came from the hunters.
But these were rookies. Most of them were complete newcomers.
“They’ve put up a grand signboard, but in the end, it’s just unknown rookie faces playing in a non-mainstream region called Saudi Arabia. Even if they have incredible talent, they’re still rookies. Can they really match the level of major-league starters? Can they, Representative?”
“It’ll be tough.”
“Exactly. It’ll be tough. Why are you saying that when you know it better than I do?”
There was always a reason people didn’t do something.
Many mainstream leagues must have considered rookie leagues. The smartest people in the world would have put their heads together to think it through.
Yet it had never happened because it simply wasn’t profitable.
“Well, if Saudi Arabia is willing to absorb the losses, it might somehow keep going. But popularity isn’t something you can buy with money.”
“Wouldn’t it work if superstars on the level of our Shin’s Kids joined?”
“Cho-a, if they’re that good, why would they be in a rookie league?”
“Ah…… That was a stupid question.”
“A new league needs stars, but rookies are fundamentally lacking in that department. That’s the limit of being a rookie! Ah, there is one way, though.”
Chae Dong-ha looked to one side.
The human pheromone. The human dopamine. The league’s cosmic superstar.
If Lee Shin, grinning like that, stepped in, maybe.
“If the representative goes and shakes his butt, it might actually work.”
“I could shake my butt again if I had to.”
“But you’re not actually going to, are you? A few days ago you were bragging to me that the world was right here.”
“I’m not going. I’m busy as hell.”
“Then there’s no answer.”
In Chae Dong-ha’s eyes, this had a ninety-five percent chance of becoming a flashy but empty shell.
He was only giving it five percent because of Saudi Arabia’s wealth; in reality, he was convinced it would fail.
But then—
“Even answers that don’t exist can be made. That’s who I am—Lee Shin.”
“……Excuse me?”
Ta-da!
Lee Shin slapped a gold-embossed business card onto his forehead.
The two of them checked the card.
“Saudi Neom League……?”
“Advisor Lee Shin……?”
“??”
“??”
“!!”
“What?!”
The two of them were shocked.
Everything Chae Dong-ha had said was correct. All of this required popularity as a prerequisite, and there was no conventional way for a rookie league to achieve it.
But—
When there was no answer, Lee Shin was the one who created one.
If there were no stars? Then make stars.
“The star who shakes their butt doesn’t have to be a hunter.”
Lee Shin gave the two dumbfounded people a bright, refreshing smile.
* * *
A rural mansion in France.
Hamid, who had flown in at the crack of dawn, bowed with the utmost respect he could muster. He expressed his honor at meeting the man, then began the conversation.
“I’ve always preferred World Raids over leagues. If I had to pick the most shocking World Raid victory, it would undoubtedly be the one France achieved under your leadership.”
France’s World Raid victory—when they had been considered inferior to England and Germany—had shocked the entire world.
Two strategies had led to that triumph.
The Maginot Line and the Élan Mode.
The absolute defensive strategy “Maginot Line,” modeled after France’s fortress zone.
Its suffocating defensive power was so solid and terrifying that even Italy’s Catenaccio had to take a step back.
“They held the line with the Maginot Line. Against England’s dazzling individual skill, against Germany’s army-like strategy—your France stood firm.”
And then, at the sixty-minute mark.
When almost all growth had ended.
Exactly once—no more, no less—they engaged in a single clash and ended the game.
They annihilated the entire opposing team and charged straight to the Nexus.
It was called the Élan Mode.
“It was a strategy that pushed the world’s best marksman at the time, Nexus Roland, to his absolute limit, and it established the very concept of marksman carry. That’s how France claimed the championship cup, and the pride from that era continues to this day, with France still regarded as a powerhouse in Europe.”
The man who created it.
The sturdy old man sitting across from Hamid right now.
So Hamid bowed deeply and pleaded earnestly.
“I want to work with you. Coach De Gaulle. Please, help us.”
The creator of the Maginot Line and Élan Mode.
The legendary coach who laid the foundation for modern French strategy.
Coach Maurice De Gaulle joins.
* * *
The answer to fill the rookies’ lack of experience.
The answer to aid in developing the rookies.
The answer to provide the rookies with star power.
Coaches.
Legendary coaches.
Star coaches.
That was the answer Lee Shin had presented.
The crown prince’s inner circle, including Hamid, scattered across the globe toward legendary coaches. What they asked of them was simple.
“You don’t need to worry about wins or losses at all.”
“With your strategic insight, just focus on raising the rookies to your liking!”
“Development, growth, proof—if you show us these three things, the Saudi Neom League will provide you with everything you desire.”
The guilds would revolve around you coaches. Even the leaders and representatives would be tools to assist you. So raise the rookies and showcase your strategic vision to your heart’s content.
But would the proud legendary coaches accept so easily? As expected, they were lukewarm at best.
“Neom League? What’s that?”
“I’m not interested in non-mainstream leagues like Saudi Arabia.”
“Get lost. Are you trying to buy me with money?!”
But their attitudes changed completely the moment they saw the contract fees Saudi Arabia offered.
‘To refuse……’
‘It’s too much money……!!’
And so, legendary coaches from around the world headed to Saudi Arabia.
·
·
And then they realized.
‘I’ve been tricked!!’
Saudi Arabia had clearly said not to worry about wins or losses and to just enjoy it without pressure. They’d said it would be like a leisurely task—teaching some brats while playing the role of a nanny.
But the atmosphere in the conference room right now didn’t allow for even joking about such things.
“……”
The foundation of French defensive strategy, Maurice De Gaulle.
One-time World Raid champion.
“What are you staring at, you idiots.”
England’s Blood Lily, Julianna.
One-time World Raid champion.
“Anyone who’s had their head cracked open by me should shut up and stay quiet.”
Germany’s Panzer Commander, General Model.
One-time World Raid champion.
Legendary coaches from around the world had gathered. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all the world’s strategies originated from them.
Competitors born for victory—yet they were gathered here and told to take it easy?
Was this a joke?
It was impossible. Their history of victories would never allow it.
And then the door opened, and an old man entered.
Wearing a black tracksuit, back slightly bent, leaning on a cane as he slowly walked in—but the air in the conference room had already changed.
“Hoho, all familiar faces.”
The Sage of the East. The Father of Korean Strategy.
And the mentor of the Three Kings, Kang Chan-yong.
Three-time World Raid champion.