Empire of Evil Season 2

The program Guild Section had skyrocketed in popularity thanks to its sharp wit and highly likable panelists. Its meticulous coverage of even the lower leagues earned it a spot among the top three league analysis channels among serious fans.

"With pleasure. At this point in time, the probability that Mir Guild defeats NG Jaguars is effectively zero."

"Uh-huh-huh-huh..."

She delivered the line without a shred of hesitation, true to her no-filter personality. Even the veteran host who'd led Guild Section for twenty years was left speechless for a moment.

"Whew, Cho-rong is bringing the heat today~ Spicy. Real spicy."

"I never expected to hear something like that come out of Cho-rong's mouth."

"You literally said during the off-season that 'even with that squad, they could get promoted in League 2.' Everyone heard it, right?"

"I remember. You even promised to buy everyone a gift if Park Su-bin's mid lane held strong until the end of the season."

What made Im Cho-rong's declaration even more shocking was the fact that she had been an ardent Mir Guild supporter until now.

As the disciple of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Mountain King, Im Cho-rong practically worshipped her mentor with religious fervor, and she had always held the guild he led in the highest regard.

Until today.

Everyone was stunned by her uncharacteristic behavior, but Im Cho-rong, ever the professional analyst, laid out her evidence.

"Let me be perfectly clear first. My opinion hasn't changed one bit. After the season ends, Mir Guild will take first place without question. They'll earn promotion as well. My view that they could compete for promotion even if they jumped straight into League 2 remains exactly the same. So if any of you keep treating me like one of those cheap attention-seekers out there, I'll plant my fist right in that pathetic little mouth of yours."

"Whoops~!"

"Ah, never mind what I just said... (zipping mouth)."

"Then I'm curious. What is the reason Cho-rong believes Mir Guild has no choice but to lose to NG Jaguars?"

"That's exactly what we're going to talk about today. I guarantee the story ahead will be incredibly interesting. Let's look at the data and wind the clock back a little, shall we?"

This was the story after the shocking Round 21 matchup had concluded, after Im Cho-rong had watched NG Jaguars' unbelievable performance in person.

Of course she had started by praising the junior hunters for their overwhelming display, but the more she watched, the stronger a strange sense of déjà vu grew inside her.

It was as if... there was clear intent visible in NG Jaguars' squad composition?

The more she rewatched, the more convinced she became.

"...At the time it was only a suspicion. As you all know, it was their first game. There simply wasn't enough data."

But in Rounds 23 and 25, she finally found the clues. During both matches, when NG Jaguars had crushed their opponents so completely the other teams could barely breathe.

Only then did Im Cho-rong truly grasp NG Jaguars' 'intention.'

"I'll give you the conclusion first. NG Jaguars' current matchup squad is precisely a counter squad designed to target Mir Guild. And it was meticulously designed by a true expert."

"...!"

"...!"

"Now let's examine exactly how NG Jaguars' squad was designed."

The first thing NG Jaguars had targeted was the spear within the Mountain King's spear and shield.

Yu Ri-ra, the lightning-fast military high school girl whose speed alone had drenched the entire league in terror.

"Her brilliant offensive power, stylish gameplay—at first glance Yu Ri-ra seems flawless, but many experts, including myself, have long been certain of something."

Her shocking performances had hidden it, but Yu Ri-ra was a hunter with very clear weaknesses.

"Short attack range, low defense, reckless aggression born from inexperience, and the instant deaths that follow. And this is the most important part—want to take a guess?"

"This is my chance. Time to show the viewers my true abil—"

"Low attack power."

"Yeom Sang-sik!"

"First one to speak wins. Anyway, many people are fooled by her stylish attack style, but Yu Ri-ra's attack power is surprisingly weak. The fact that most of her kills come from critical hits is the proof."

"Thank you, Yeom-ssu. I'll continue from here."

It sounded absurd to claim that a hunter who had achieved pentakills—something most players could never manage in a lifetime—within half a season of her debut, and twice at that, had weak attack power. But it was the truth.

Yu Ri-ra had weak attack power.

The reason she still led the league in kills was her miraculous accuracy that landed bullets in vital points even at that overwhelming speed, along with her ability to consistently land critical hits.

"If you peel back a single layer like this, Yu Ri-ra is a classic high-risk, high-return AD carry."

NG Jaguars had prepared accordingly, relentlessly targeting exactly those risks.

"They brought in a thrower with ultra-long range to completely overwhelm her short attack distance, strong defense for a marksman to counter her low attack power, and above all, the ability to use target-designated attacks that could nullify the swift feet that symbolize the White Shinigami."

On the screen that had risen at some point, footage of NG Jaguars' new marksman appeared.

A spear launched with a dynamic motion like wringing a waist, bending ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at a bizarre angle before slamming into the enemy like a guided missile.

The panelists let out a collective gasp of admiration.

"Whoa, that looks nasty. A guided throwing spear? Even Yu Ri-ra would be in danger against that."

"At the very least, she won't be able to run wild like she used to."

"It can suppress that incredible carry power. An anti-carry, you could call it?"

"Exactly. That's what I wanted to say—anti-carry!"

Anti Carry.

Just like with Yu Ri-ra, NG Jaguars' counters were thoroughly focused on shutting down Mir Guild's carry power.

For top-lane bruiser Park Jeong-seok, they had brought in a hunter who was a superior match in both offense and defense. For Lee Hye-jung in the jungle lane, who relied on speed and poison rather than raw power, they had deployed a violent, high-attack-power meat jungler that served as her perfect counter.

Even the Mountain King, the flawless commander, could not completely escape their preparations.

They had accurately identified his handicap of never stepping forward himself and simply ignored him entirely. By attaching a sitting-type supporter specialized in defense and protection, they had ruthlessly eliminated the variable known as the Yu Ri-ra card.

"But there is a problem."

"A team built that way could never function properly."

"That's what I'm curious about. They're not only facing Mir Guild, right? They only meet Mir Guild in one round!"

"Correct. Which is why I specifically said it was a counter thoroughly designed by experts."

The masterstroke that bound that extreme squad together was none other than Dr. Hong—a hunter of de-league caliber whose skill no one could dispute, despite the many controversies surrounding his morals and personal life.

"His magic possesses the versatility to unite a team with such extreme personalities."

After all, he was a wizard ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who had distinguished himself even at Olympus Magic Tower in the EU, the self-proclaimed progenitor of magic.

"He carries a wide array of weapons that won't falter no matter what variables appear."

Because he was an elementalist who could wield all four attributes—earth, fire, wind, and water.

"And."

This was the most crucial point.

"We said it before the season began. In the end, Mir Guild's core is Park Su-bin. If you cannot break the fortress called Park Su-bin, you will never be able to claim victory over Mir Guild."

"So it's that man. Dr. Hong. He can do it."

Shield Breaker.

"He is the siege weapon capable of destroying the fortress named Park Su-bin that every opponent has challenged and failed to overcome."

An astronomical amount of money, enormous manpower, jealousy, and malice—all poured into a custom counter aimed solely at Mir Guild.

That was NG Jaguars' current position.

"I'll say it once more. As things stand, Mir Guild cannot beat NG Jaguars."

Mir Guild Representative Office.

On Ido Electronics' brand-new 120-inch TV, a different guild's match was playing for once. It was footage from NG Jaguars' matchup.

Lee Shin's mouth spoke with the utmost gentleness, but his eyes and hands told a different story. He kept pressing the pause and play buttons on the remote, his gaze fixed on the match as he reviewed it over and over.

"Satisfied with the recruits I suggested?"

"Just through the grapevine."

"Don't get dragged into anything unnecessary, noona. You remember what I taught you before—slip away subtly and just observe at the right distance, right?"

"Good. Smart decision."

Lee Shin's pen, which had been moving busily across his memo pad, stopped. His gaze shifted to the schedule.

"It's fine. Do I look like the kind of guy who loses, noona?"

"Anyway, thanks for the cooperation."

The call ended with the classic Korean farewell of 'Let's grab a meal sometime.'

Lee Shin's wrist bent at a bizarre angle to cover his face. Then, as if he could no longer hold it back, his shoulders shook.

"Heh heh heh..."

He was laughing.

Like a shadowy mastermind.

"The cold city man who designs everything from behind the dark curtain and moves the world according to his will. But warm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only to his own people."

Kk kk kk kk. The sinister laughter continued.

Chae Dong-ha, forced to witness this scene directly, let out a long, pained sigh for the first time in a while.

"Haa... You really can't go even one second without being dramatic, can you?"

Not long ago—specifically, the evening of the day Lee Shin had visited the chairman's residence.

At Lee Shin's summons, Chae Dong-ha had gone to their usual grilled pork belly restaurant. The moment he stepped inside and saw that exact dark-mastermind pose in the corner, he had known instinctively.

This bastard's crazy disease had flared up again.

And sure enough, starting the very next day, Lee Shin had begun doing the unthinkable.

"This is the first time I've ever seen a guild representative write a scouting report for another guild. Especially for an opponent we'll be facing in the upcoming matchup!"

"Heh heh heh..."

"Look at him. That Dr. Hong or Eom Bok-dong or whatever—the guy the representative meddled with—is tearing apart the current second-place mid laner. Half of that performance was created by you, Representative!"

"Kya ha ha ha ha!"

Having accumulated hardcore experience at Lee Shin's side, Chae Dong-ha no longer asked questions like 'Why on earth?' or 'What are you thinking?' the way he used to.

Now he could at least see the shape of the plan.

"I understand what you're thinking. This is the same conspiracy you cooked up last year with those guild representatives who tried to invade us, isn't it?"

"Oh? You noticed."

"You said a guild needs drama to succeed, so you divide roles into heroes and villains, create checks and balances... What was it again? Ah, I remember—Empire of Evil. Isn't this that?"

"Wow, this is exactly why I raise SS-grades. Teach them once and they pick it up perfectly."

He was right. Exactly right.

The dazzling gameplay and overwhelming results produced by the legendary Mountain King and world-class prospects Park Su-bin and Yu Ri-ra.

Combined with Lee Shin, who was evolving into a perfect genius representative through all kinds of projects.

No one in the industry could deny that these were the reasons behind League 3's massive popularity.

However, as had been said many times before, the public grew bored easily.

'Shock!' 'Amazing!' 'Overwhelming!' Such exclamations only worked once or twice. Keep repeating them and they lost their impact, eventually causing fatigue instead.

The proof was that League 3's popularity, which had peaked during the off-season, was now slowly declining.

He had already been thinking this issue would need to be addressed eventually. Then, at just the right moment, he had learned of their little conspiracy.

It felt like a message from the heavens.

Yes. This was it. Using these guys would create a truly entertaining picture.

"Titled: Empire of Evil Season 2!"

"You really are something else..."

In that short instant, he had decided to tie the problem together and solve it.

His quick thinking truly deserved respect. Chae Dong-ha stared at Lee Shin as if looking at a monster.

"It's good. It revives the fading atmosphere and boosts league popularity through drama. But isn't this going a bit too far? Look at their gameplay."

"They are performing well."

"It's not just 'well'! It's completely insane!"

On the 120-inch screen, NG Jaguars was pressing their opponents without letting them breathe even once, as if demonstrating the difference between League 2 and League 3.

And at the center of it all stood Dr. Hong, the man Lee Shin had recommended.

"So there is a solution, right?"

This was the Ido Derby, where far more than simple points were at stake.

At Chae Dong-ha's uneasy question, Lee Shin's eyebrows curved into a smile.

"Of course."

And so time flowed on.

Before they knew it, the day of the Round 29 matchup had arrived.