Chapter 20

Why was there such a huge difference between the skill level I saw during this season’s matches and the skill level of the Super Sylph team I was watching train now?

‘At this rate, aren’t they a completely different team?’

<They really are different.>

If even Seo Dami could feel it, that said it all.

I tried to guess the reason.

‘Well, the reason is pretty obvious…’

I focused on Coach Bae Yungi, who was leading the game from among the players.

On the Super Sylph team, he was playing the Attacker role while also giving the Orders.

His years of experience in the First Division League prevented the kinds of mistakes that could happen In-Game and helped harmonize the plays of the highly individualistic players.

‘But isn’t that a given?’

Even though Coach Bae Yungi had retired, he wasn’t on a level that could be compared to Second Division League players.

It wasn’t like he’d been retired for ten years; it had only been three.

It was only natural that Super Sylph’s performance, with Coach Bae Yungi filling in the gap and syncing them up, was better than it had been during the season.

But Super Sylph’s current skill level far exceeded that expected level of improvement.

‘It must be the Orders.’

As I continued to listen to the training voice chat, I easily figured out the secret to their improved skill.

Orders.

The various situations one faces in a match.

It refers to the decisions made to prevent teammates’ thoughts from diverging in situations that require a choice.

In the urgent back-and-forth of an attack, there was no time to leisurely discuss which decision was better, so the players followed these Orders and moved as one.

‘Who was in charge of Orders this season?’

<Shin Aram.>

Seo Dami, with her good memory, answered for me.

Shin Aram was the Defender, now silently holding up her Shield and taking enemy attacks.

Her posture was good, and she was adept at finding defensive points, making her a solid player.

She was skilled at positioning herself where she could protect the most allies and blocking paths to prevent the enemy from breaking through.

Since she was a player who knew what to do on her own, even Coach Bae Yungi didn’t give her much specific feedback.

That must have been a sign of his trust in her.

But being a skilled player and having the aptitude for giving Orders are two separate issues.

In particular, aside from a brief introduction at the restaurant earlier, Shin Aram had been utterly silent.

Could a player like that give proper Orders?

If the talkative Hwang Jua or Kim Dain had been in charge of Orders, the outcome would have been much better than it was now.

‘Why did they do that?’

The Director and Coach must have known that entrusting Orders to a taciturn player wasn’t a very good idea.

I decided to ask about it after the training was over and continued to spectate their match.

As the Super Sylph team’s training was wrapping up, I went down to the reception room first to wait for Director Lee Gangseon.

After he arrived, I told him I had enjoyed watching the training and then asked what I was curious about.

It was the question of why they had entrusted the Orders to Shin Aram.

At that, the Director let out an “Ah—” and made a face that said he had a lot to say.

“You know that Shin Aram is our team’s most senior player, right?”

“Yes.”

“Shin Aram debuted on this team and has already been with Super Sylph for five years. She’s spent more time on this team than I have.”

Typically, the team’s Leader is the eldest, but there’s one condition.

They must have been active on the team for a long time.

Since Shin Aram had debuted with Super Sylph and was the most senior, she had naturally taken on the role of Leader.

“The two players who retired last year asked Aram for a favor. They said, who else could be the Leader but you? Aram was motivated at the time and said she’d give it a try.”

“Those players… did they not anticipate this kind of situation?”

Director Lee Gangseon shook his head at my question.

He said that Shin Aram hadn’t always been so quiet.

While it was true she was less talkative than others, the Director explained that her current state was almost extreme.

“Honestly, with two veteran players who had led the team and acted as mood-makers gone, it would have been difficult to avoid a drop in the rankings this season, even if Aram had performed as expected.”

Replacing the two veteran players were the seventeen-year-old Jung Yunseul, stepping into the Pro Scene for the first time, and Kim Hyeona, who had joined on a one-year contract.

Considering she entered the Second Division League right at seventeen, the minimum age for a pro debut, Jung Yunseul’s Talent was beyond doubt.

But she was a rookie who had just debuted.

No matter how talented, it wasn’t easy for a rookie to navigate a game well.

After being called a genius while attending academies, at school, and in Rank Games, they come to a new realization upon entering the Pro Scene.

Ah, this is a place where only people who were called geniuses like me come.

This year, Jung Yunseul showed an impressive performance unbecoming of a rookie, but at the same time, she also made mistakes that an experienced player wouldn’t.

And as the mistakes began to pile up toward the end of the First Half, her Performance collapsed rapidly.

On the other hand, Kim Hyeona was pretty decent.

She was an A-list player brought in from the Transfer Market to fill the void left by the retired players.

However.

Those two had only just joined the team.

Naturally, their Teamwork was bound to be worse than that of members who had played together for years.

On top of that, Jung Yunseul’s Mental had completely shattered mid-season.

It was practically impossible for Kim Hyeona to pull the weight of two people on her own.

The rest is a familiar story.

Shin Aram, already quiet by nature, came to believe the team was in a slump because she, the Leader, wasn’t doing her job properly.

When the Leader lost her way, it didn’t take long for the team to fall apart.

Director Lee Gangseon had discussed with the Coach the idea of temporarily switching the Order role to Kim Dain, but Kim Dain herself had adamantly refused the proposal.

Kim Dain had also debuted on this team.

Shin Aram was a Sunbae who had debuted three years before her, so taking over the Orders in her place seems to have been a great burden for Kim Dain.

Having had a long career as a player myself, I could understand that feeling to some extent.

The fact that the retired players had entrusted the Leader and Order roles to Shin Aram must have been a factor as well.

Hearing the gist of the story from Director Lee Gangseon, I nodded, understanding the situation.

“Coach. I’ll be frank with you. Watching the training today, I had a thought. This team could shoot right up with just a few small changes.”

Director Lee Gangseon’s expression brightened at my words.

But I wasn’t finished yet.

“However, there are some problems that need to be solved first. For starters, I’d like another player to handle the Orders. Just because someone else is giving Orders doesn’t mean the Leader’s role disappears.”

I said it like that, but in reality, in Korea, the Leader usually also handled the Orders.

You just had to look at Universe Cat to see that.

Originally, Kim Yujeong was Universe Cat’s Leader and shot-caller, but as my performance became more prominent, the lead naturally passed to me without anyone having to say a word.

After that, Kim Yujeong’s presence completely vanished into dust.

If I were to take on the Orders for Super Sylph next year, we could probably create a pretty good flow, just like we saw in the training session a moment ago.

But for a player who had just transferred, and one who was only a year older than the youngest member, to be giving Orders was something the existing players could complain about.

That’s why I presented the Director with the next best option.

“I would like Kim Dain to take on the Orders. I think a year has been enough of a chance to prove herself.”

“I understand what you mean.”

Director Lee Gangseon said it wouldn’t be easy, but he would try to persuade the team members.

If the Order issue wasn’t resolved, I was planning to look for another team, albeit with some regret.

I can’t stand frustrating situations.

If the Orders are a mess, it’s like playing with your hands and feet tied, and in that kind of situation, I wouldn’t be able to give Dami any proper experience.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“Do you have any other plans? If not, why don’t you stay for dinner…”

“I’ll have dinner with you next time. I have an appointment.”

In the afternoon, I was planning to check out the Star Prism team house.

Super Sylph had a good feel, but I had to give Star Prism a chance too, right?

On top of that, Star Prism was the team that had offered me the highest Annual Salary among the Second Division teams.

Considering their sincerity, passing on them was out of the question.

“Ah, and you can speak comfortably with me, Coach.”

Director Lee Gangseon said he would do so once I became a player on his team and thanked me for stopping by today.

From Seongnae-dong to Seongsan-dong.

I arrived at the Star Prism team house at the exact promised time, and the meeting started right away without any waiting.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Seo Dami.”

“Hello.”

The Star Prism team house was one story taller than Super Sylph’s.

Perhaps because of that, a spacious area used as a Meeting Room was today’s meeting place.

A long table was placed in the center of the room with chairs lined up on either side.

As I sat down, Star Prism’s Director Kim Seohan asked if I had thought things over enough.

“Have you made a decision about your team for next season?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Is that so?”

But wasn’t that the very reason I had come here today?

Just as with Super Sylph, I was about to ask if I could watch the Star Prism players train.

But their reaction was a bit strange.

Just a few days ago, they had been so eager for me to join the team, but their reaction today seemed as if their interest in me had waned.

<They’re being a bit stiff.>

‘Are they upset that I’m dragging this out?’

Director Kim Seohan spoke.

We offered you, Seo Dami, a high Annual Salary of 400 million Won.

We are well aware of your star power, but for a player with no experience in the Second Division League, this is undoubtedly a top-tier offer.

So for you to have not made a decision yet is a bit disappointing for us. That was the gist of it.

‘It’s only a 50 million Won difference, anyway.’

<I know, right? The nerve.>

‘……?’

<……?>

The difference in the Annual Salary offered by Super Sylph and Star Prism was 50 million Won.

Of course, this amount was equivalent to an office worker’s annual salary, so it wasn’t exactly small, but assuming I would be playing in the First Division League, it wasn’t an amount that would significantly influence my decision.

Well, even so.

It was true that Star Prism had made a bold decision to recruit me.

So, I wanted to see this through rather than fold my hand here, just as I had with Super Sylph.

I really wanted to check the capabilities of the Star Prism players.

Who knows, I might like these players more.

Any hurt feelings would surely be smoothed over once the contract was signed.

“Director.”

“Yes.”

“I apologize for dragging this out for so long. But I came here today to finalize the contract, so…”

Just as I was about to say that I wanted to see the players’ Performance to make my decision, the Meeting Room door burst open and a stranger walked in.

‘Who’s that?’

A lean figure.

Long arms and legs.

She was a woman with a good figure.

But the reason she caught my eye wasn’t simply because of her good figure, but because of a certain feeling.

Watching her walk in confidently, I thought.

‘That person, she looks like a Pro Gamer, doesn’t she?’

I had no information and was just looking at her appearance, but I had that feeling.

‘Do you know her?’

<No…>

I thought Dami might know her if she was originally a player in the women’s League, but it seemed she was a stranger.

It was then.

A flustered Director Kim Seohan stuttered.

“Uh, uh. Park Chaerin! You can’t come in yet!”

Just as I thought, she had the vibe of someone who trains hard.

As expected, she seemed to be a pro player.

‘Who could she be?’

As I was wondering about her identity, she approached me, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

“Looks like you had a guest here first. Hello. Are you also… a Pro Gamer?”

It takes a Pro Gamer to know a Pro Gamer.

It seemed she felt a sense of kinship from me as well.

When I nodded, she smirked and looked at Director Kim Seohan.

“What’s this, Coach~? You told me all I had to do was come and sign the papers.”

Sign the papers?

So they’re giving me the cold shoulder because of this player?

From the way things were going, that seemed to be the case.

What the hell. So they weren’t just pissed that I was dragging my feet; they were about to dump me because they thought she was better than me.

Feeling subtly offended, I asked the woman next to me.

“You’re Park Chaerin?”

“That’s right~.”

“Which team were you on?”

It wasn’t a strange question at all, but she widened her eyes and then burst out laughing.

“Ah, I’m not a Universe Arena player.”

Not a UA player?

Then what?

“I played Gaia. I wonder if you’d know the team Windforce?”

Windforce.

It was a pro team from a different game, but I had heard the name before.

Windforce, a team from the women’s First Division League of the VR Game Gaia.

They were a traditional team with the major airline, Asia International Airlines, as their Parent Company.

‘A First Division pro player from Gaia?’

What’s a player like that doing in UA?

Unlike UA, which was just celebrating its 10th anniversary, Gaia had been running for decades and had long established itself as the world’s largest sport.

Naturally, the market size was larger, and the salaries top-tier players received were on a completely different level.

Besides, separate from the salary, there was another, real problem.

‘Even though they’re both VR Games, they’re completely different. Just because she was a successful pro over there doesn’t guarantee she’ll be successful here.’

Gaia and Universe Arena had little in common except for the fact that they were both VR Games.

Soccer and basketball are both sports played with a ball, but aren’t they completely different fields?

It was the same thing.

“You look like you have no idea why I’m here doing this, huh?”

“Yes.”

“It’s nothing special. I retired from Gaia this year. I had to decide whether to live as a jobless bum eating away at my savings or become a Streamer at home, and then an interesting idea popped into my head.”

Park Chaerin said.

She wanted to prove for herself just what kind of Performance a First Division Player who had competed in a sport where the world’s most talented players gather could deliver when challenging a different sport.

“I was an Artillery Master in Gaia. You know what that is, right? I heard they call it a Sniper here.”

“I know.”

“So that’s why I came. I’ve retired from Gaia, but this place might be different, you know? It’s a different game, but after playing for a few days, it didn’t seem like a big deal.”

Listening to Park Chaerin, who smiled and said she thought playing professionally in UA would be no problem, I looked at Director Kim Seohan.

My gaze was demanding confirmation, asking if what this person was saying was true.

When the Director nodded with a reluctant face, my eyes hardened without me realizing it.

“It’s true, Coach?”

“Why are you acting like this…?”

“You shouldn’t be saying that, Coach.”

I said forcefully.

Isn’t this person clearly looking down on UA?

Otherwise, how could she say things like the game is easy or being a pro is no big deal?

This was a clear disregard for UA.

As my voice rose, Park Chaerin asked why I was so angry.

“Don’t take it so personally. If you have Talent, everyone tells you to become a Gaia player, not a Universe Arena player. That’s how difficult Gaia is~. You’ll understand once you try Gaia too. You’ll think, ah, Universe Arena was a relatively easy game after all.”

After that, Park Chaerin went on a rant, bragging about her skills, saying it only took her a fortnight to reach Grandmaster.

‘Skills, my ass.’

Feeling the urge to plant a honey-sweet fist in that mouth of hers, I clenched my fist tightly.

“Is the reason for your retirement from Gaia because of your age?”

“Well, I guess so?”

“How much did Star Prism offer you?”

“Are you curious?”

“Yes.”

“600 million.”

“Ahem!”

I glared daggers at the coughing Director Kim Seohan.

You’re not only ditching me for a player who’s retiring because she’s past her prime, but you offered a player like this 600 million?

Are you blind?

Are you an idiot?

As I was thinking that there are all sorts of ways to throw away money, Park Chaerin spouted more nonsense.

“Are you upset because you can’t join this team because of me? Is that why you’re angry? I’m uncomfortable in this kind of atmosphere…”

“Upset my ass!”

“Ow, my ears. Speak softly.”

“A team that can’t even tell who the real deal is and throws money in the trash? I don’t need it. I’m the one rejecting this contract.”

“What? Trash can?”

Star Prism.

If I see you in the League next season, you’re all dead.

Thinking that, I was about to leave the Meeting Room when Park Chaerin stopped me.

“Wait a minute~. You should at least apologize for treating a person like a trash can before you go, right?”

“Why should I? Who was the one who started spouting bullshit first?”

“Hey. This guy’s a real piece of work, huh? Coach, what’s his name?”

Coach Kim Seohan, looking exasperated, told me to hurry up and leave, but Park Chaerin went wild, insisting she couldn’t let me go just like that.

“You. You seem to be treating me like a has-been just because I came from Gaia. Aren’t you the one who’s judging people with prejudice?”

Park Chaerin said she had already played plenty of UA and had confirmed her potential for success.

Confirmed it, she says?

What did you use to confirm it?

You haven’t played in the League, you haven’t tried syncing up with the pros.

As I was making a dumbfounded face, Park Chaerin shot back arrogantly.

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it to you right now. If I win, you apologize to me. Got it?”

Prove what?

I have no hobby of wasting time on that crap!

I had no intention of listening to any more of her bullshit and was about to turn away when Park Chaerin snapped.

“You’re scared you’ll lose. All talk and no skill. Kids these days are a real problem, I tell you.”

This little shit…?

I clenched my fists, trembling with rage.

“What are you going to do if you lose, talking like that?”

“That won’t happen, but if I lose, I’ll do whatever you want. Anything.”

“You’ll do anything, is that it? Fine. If I lose, I’ll retire as a player, effective today.”

<O-Oppa?>

“Instead, if you lose, you’ll write a handwritten apology that says, ‘I’m sorry for running my mouth when I didn’t know shit,’ and post it on the Community. Got it?”

“Deal.”

I steeled my resolve.

Today, I would ab-solutely not let this little shit out of the Battlefield until she was half-dead.

As if thinking the milk was already spilt, Dami threw her hands up in the air and started cheering.

<Han Youngin, fighting-!!!>

And so, a real ‘Deathmatch’ that no one had anticipated began.