Episode 139
Arin, positioned at the center, shouted energetically from her seat.
“The auction has ended! The teams have all been decided. Now, while the team members gather and greet each other, we should also be doing our job, shouldn’t we?”
“That’s right.”
“Alright then, shall we take a look at the teams?”
What the auction system guarantees is only the tier level of the users, not their positions.
In other words, each team leader must carefully consider the positions of their team members and bring them in accordingly.
From the management’s perspective, it could be seen as an invisible hand, entrusting the balance to the participants.
Unfortunately,
humans are not beings driven solely by rationality and self-interest.
“Hahaha! First, let’s take a look at Mental’s team!”
Arin laughed as she shifted her gaze to Bangju, who was sitting on the right.
The reason for her laughter was simple: Mental’s team was decent.
The screen finally displayed Mental’s team.
“Yes. Mental’s team can be said to have a very well-balanced composition. It’s surprising.”
“Hahaha, indeed. There was a crisis at first, but someone else took that burden instead. And strangely, the auction proceeded smoothly after that, didn’t it?”
“Yes. Perhaps due to the shock of losing Seojun, he seemed to have lost his touch. Thanks to that, he stopped overreacting and bid calmly. But then again, it went incredibly well, making it a strong team with the best balance.”
Arin called out the next team.
It was a team that also boasted a golden balance, just like Mental’s.
“These two team leaders could be said to have completed the auction quite successfully, right?”
“Well, since they managed to bring in team members without overlapping positions.”
“But not everyone can come out of it so neatly!”
After that, explanations about the remaining teams followed.
To be precise, they didn’t categorize them into strong and weak teams.
What they judged was the apparent success or failure of each team leader’s auction and the chemistry among the members.
“Actually, only the team leaders themselves know whether their bids were truly successful. And now, the team leaders are starting to turn on their broadcasts.”
“Shall we talk about the next team while watching their broadcast?”
Some of what they thought were twists might have been intentional.
If so, what exactly was the team leader’s intention?
Arin heightened the curiosity as she continued.
“It’s turned on just in time. Let’s take a look at Team Leader Kim Taewoo, who made a choice that left everyone scratching their heads near the end.”
[Kim Taewoo has started streaming.]
[Hey! Why did you pick me there! You should have picked Baramgeom! Wow. Wow, seriously. There’s no one whose main position is mid lane, team leader! If I come here, it’s bad for both you and me!]
[I don’t know.]
The team members gathered in Taewoo’s lobby. And as soon as they entered, a fight was visible.
“Yes, let’s stop watching that.”
Arin made a quick decision.
- LOL
- "I don’t know" guy LOL
- Run
- Still, they have a sub-mid, so it’s surprisingly okay
- But is that enough to give up Baramgeom? Just take him outright?
“Hahaha. Kim Taewoo has appeared in Rios many times, but this is his first time as a team leader. So maybe he was nervous?”
“That could be.”
“What do you think, Penguin and Taeyang?”
“I think he deliberately avoided Baramgeom, considering that Baramgeom almost exclusively plays Kael. Even if the position fits perfectly in that situation, when weighed against other alternatives, the scale might tip this way. Though I personally don’t think so!”
“That’s a unique perspective, Taeyang.”
They didn’t know.
It was simply because he saw an angle to keep Seojun in check while building a decent team.
“What about you, Penguin?”
“Actually, I’ve decided to give up on predicting the streamers’ thoughts.”
“Is that so? Why?”
“Because of the last remaining team. I realized there might be something I’m not seeing.”
“Ah, I see!”
Satisfied with the answer, Arin introduced the last remaining team.
“Now! This team acquired the first player by spending all their points, and then filled the remaining B, C, and D positions with players who went unsold until the very end!”
“Apart from Baramgeom, this team consists of people who have done joint broadcasts before. And Seojun, who gives the orders, has done joint broadcasts with all of them.”
A - Jin Seojun
B - Baramgeom
C - Alpaca
D - Rumi
E - Ha Yoonho
“Perhaps the team chemistry will be the best. So it’s a team that could show us an upset!”
Bangju said, recalling Seojun’s personality.
In his view, Seojun was surprisingly sociable.
“Shall we take a look at what this team is talking about?”
[…….]
[…….]
[…….]
[…….]
“A w-warm, friendly atmosphere, where they understand each other without words, and it doesn’t feel awkward at all……”
“It looks like the team leader is being punished right now……”
“Shall we turn it off?”
“Yes!”
Again, the decision was swift.
- Yes!
- Wow! Such a warm and friendly atmosphere LOL
- Ha Yoonho LOL He’s raising his hands LOL
- If it looks like a complete mess, upvote LOL
* * *
After the auction ends, teams can generally be divided into two cases: twisted teams and untwisted teams.
And usually, there is more than one twisted team. Because if one team leader trolls, it inevitably affects other teams.
Mental’s notoriety as the biggest variable of the auction was not for nothing.
Considering that in the previous tournament, Mental’s choices caused every team to be twisted to some extent, one could even say the notoriety was insufficient.
‘From the start, they divided exactly six players per tier, but they didn’t divide by positions, so some teams were bound to fail.’
It’s not absolute, but for example, lower-tier players are often placed in the bottom lane.
And since the number of users who play both top and mid is statistically the highest, many players can play these two as sub-positions.
In such situations, team leaders bid accordingly on their own.
And someone trolls and ruins it.
However, Ha Yoonho.
‘Couldn’t even ruin it.’
He had no choice from the beginning, having poured all his points into Seojun, who appeared first, and was left in a position where he had to pray, ‘Please don’t take that pick, leave it for us!’ So he couldn’t ruin others’ plans.
He just sank alone.
Maybe that’s why? Except for Seojun’s team, everyone else’s situation could be considered decent.
Even Taewoo’s team, compared to past tournaments, was surprisingly in a decent position. The only team that could be considered completely ruined was theirs.
‘Let’s go in first.’
Seojun entered the lobby where the team members were gathered through Ha Yoonho’s invitation.
The first thing that unfolded before his eyes was Ha Yoonho standing with his hands raised, and the team members glaring at him.
‘Everyone’s doing well.’
- The host is the latest, huh
- Seems like he’s the slowest to connect to the capsule. Is this also because of the synchronization rate?
- This seems more like a tech-illiterate issue? LOL
- Ah LOL Tech-illiterate issue LOL
That’s right. The connection speed doesn’t vary much. He was a little late because he was switching the broadcast from the computer to the capsule.
Sharp, aren’t they?
As Seojun entered, the silence broke.
“Seojun! It’s been a long time! It feels a bit strange to meet like this, but having you on the same team is really reassuring!”
Alpaca was the first to rush over and greet him.
- Alpaca’s trait: he said himself he’s only played mid lane
- In his early 30s, looks vaguely like an ugly version of Alpaca, an assassin player, low among C-tier at upper Platinum. This guy is trash!
- No wonder he went unsold LOL
Hmm.
The viewers are being too harsh.
Seojun thought again that, since the team members were all people he knew, it wasn’t entirely bad.
“Wow, I’m seeing you on the same team, Seojun. I thought we’d meet as opponents because of our positions.”
Next was Baramgeom.
And once again, the viewers ruthlessly began reciting his profile.
- Used to be a Challenger mid, but plummeted two years ago after meeting Kael.
- Currently in Master, Kael win rate 48%, pick rate 64%
- A Kael one-trick. And when his score drops from losing with Kael, he raises it with other heroes LOL
- Actually, Baramgeom might have tremendous potential, but from a stable standpoint, skipping him is the right call. Baramgeom was also justified in ending up on this team LOL
- Now I see, everyone was indeed unsellable-worthy LOL
- Wow! The team is amazing! Crazy!
Stop it, guys.
Even if these are the people left because they were bound to be, the players aren’t at fault, right?
The real fault lies with.
“…….”
The team leader, who is now on his knees with his arms raised, subtly avoiding Seojun’s gaze.
“Rumi, we meet again.”
“Hello!”
He greeted Rumi, who stood guard next to Ha Yoonho.
Anyway, the atmosphere was warm and friendly. Except for Ha Yoonho.
Once again, the team members aren’t at fault, are they?
“Hey, since this is a virtual reality, you don’t feel physical fatigue, only a bit of mental fatigue. Can’t I just put my arms down?”
“Then you can just keep them up forever, Yoonho.”
Rumi said.
- Rumi is at least decent.
- She didn’t go unsold due to shortcomings; it just seems there was no fitting team.
- Sorry, but for D and E, whether they’re decent or trolls doesn’t really matter.
- Anyway, the problem is definitely the three mid-laners!
- Is it ruined?
Well, what’s done is done. If you’re not going to give up, there’s no need to jump to conclusions and despair in advance.
Seojun spoke.
“Let’s decide on our team name.”
“Sounds good.”
“How about ‘Ha Yoonho and the Victims’?”
Rumi offered her opinion first.
“That’s good too. Or maybe, to be dramatic, ‘The Chosen and the Unchosen’?”
Baramgeom also spoke.
“That’s too sad. And long.”
“Then ‘Total Chaos’?”
“That’s hopeless.”
Alpaca interrupted.
“Are you talking about a team name? And not my naming skills?”
Baramgeom, feeling wrongly accused, asked back.
“Yes, yes, of course. Hahaha.”
Truly warm and friendly. Nice.
Seojun smiled with satisfaction.
“I’ve got a great idea!”
Everyone stiffened when Ha Yoonho opened his mouth, though.
“Let’s hear it.”
Rumi crossed her arms and glared with wide eyes, ready to see how well he would name it. Ha Yoonho’s mouth opened again.
“Wealth Gap.”
Oh.
That’s really.
Perfect for getting beaten up, huh?
“You bastard! Are you mocking us because we went unsold?”
“Step on him! Step on that bastard!”
“Ah… I’m not that close with him…”
“Baramgeom! I give you permission! Go ahead and step on him!”
Rumi.
She’s more violent than she looks.
While Seojun was slightly cowed, Rumi, who had been stomping on Ha Yoonho to her heart’s content, suddenly turned her head towards Seojun.
“Seojun. Why aren’t you stomping on him? Is it because you’re the 995 points…?”
“Haha. I’ll join in.”
Coincidentally, he wanted to step on him too.
It’s not because he was cowed. Really.
* * *
In the end, the team name was decided as ‘Wealth Gap’. Because it fit perfectly.
The viewers also said that for the capitalistic heavenly demon, a wealth gap is only natural.
Seojun didn’t understand what nonsense that was.
As a side note, Taewoo’s team name was likely to be ‘Jipaljikkon’ (You make your own bed). Everyone except Taewoo agreed on it.
Anyway, the team names would be announced tomorrow.
“So, what do we do today?”
“There’s probably a simple game.”
“The team that wins today’s game will get the advantage of seeding the groups for the group stage.”
“I see.”
“Last time, there was a game where everyone ran. I don’t know what will come out this time.”
They looked at the official streaming window right in front of them.
The advertisements would soon end, and the second part would begin.
[Now! Thank you for waiting. Let’s dive right into the second part. I’m your caster, Arin, here to commentate Rios.]
- Waaaaaa!
- Tch tch tch tch
[We’ll get going right away. The warm-up games for choosing the groups are! There are two in total. The first is a fighting PC game where the E-tier members will battle! Beast Cartel!]
- So it’s a scrub battle, huh.
- Then the other four will play a different game?
- They brought a PC game here LOL
- That game’s characters are so wobbly, PC gaming is really the way to go LOL
[Yes! And the second is the VR battle royale game Ground Zero! It will be played in a single 4-person squad match. The players except for E-tier will participate. For those who don’t have the game, the organizers just sent out gifts, so please check and download it!]
[Aha! Ground Zero and Beast Cartel!]
[Bangju, why are you speaking as if you didn’t know?]
[……The script told me to act surprised. Why are you doing this to me?]
[Haha. I was joking. Then please continue the explanation.]
“Ground Zero?”
“Yes, Seojun. Do you know it?”
“Hmm, I think I know how to play.”
“Oh! Really?”
Anticipation spread across the team members’ faces.
They knew well about Seojun’s physical prowess. And now he knows the game?
Naturally, the image of Seojun carrying the team came to mind.
The moment all eyes were on him!
Seojun said nonchalantly,
“If you see enemies, you just kill them, right?”
Alpaca immediately made an expression that said, ‘Of course, that’s how it is.’
He was teasing them.
“Ah… That applies to every game, you know.”
And Baramgeom, still not familiar with Seojun, answered seriously.
“Haha… Let’s watch how Yoonho does first and then talk.”
Rumi, clenching her teeth for a moment, resolved to become friends with Seojun quickly.
Otherwise, she’d definitely be awkward throughout the tournament like now, unable to counterattack, and would keep getting one-sidedly teased!
[Now! First, all E-tier members in each team, please install the game on your PCs!]