by Park Saenal
[Koreans will learn humility.]
[We know that South Korea is one of the smaller countries in Northeast Asia. Until the release of Satisfy, South Korea hadn’t been an important country for the majority of Chinese players, and some had not even known it existed.
However, for e-sports fans, South Korea is a historic country. South Korea was not only the birthplace of e-sports, but the majority of pro gamers called ‘legends’ from decades ago were Koreans. Yes, they were legends decades ago. In the end, what happened to South Korea? Now South Korea is just a part of history. There aren’t many people wondering about the e-sports nation, and the time when Koreans played an active role in the e-sports world was already decades ago.
60 years ago…
I still vividly remember the first time I visited South Korea. I can’t forget the imposing sight of the Korean pro gamers who swept the trophies in all game genres. For my youthful self, they were heavenly gods I couldn’t forget.
What about now? South Korea has fallen. Their last heroes were Faker, Wolf, and Bang. The Korean professional gamers being active in e-sports is just the distant past.
However, the South Koreans are still proud. They believe they are still a nation of e-sports and believe that the hero Grid will support the country alone forever.
I want to ask them. How many heroes do we have in China? How many heroes are there in the United States? Don’t they know that the Grid they praise as a hero is only an individual? South Korea has a limit. I have to admit that they are a nation that gives birth to heroes every few decades, and I can’t deny that Grid is supporting South Korea in the present day. But can the age of Grid last forever?
E-sports countries like China and the United States have built up infrastructure based on enormous capital. This infrastructure produces dozens of new heroes every year. But South Korea? They are in a different situation.
In a time when e-sports started to revive, the South Korean government was incompetent (at least in this area) enough to define games as a ‘drug.’ South Korea is an insular and outdated country. They hurriedly built infrastructure after Satisfy was released, but they don’t have the know-how and they have to go through all types of trials and errors.
Unlike us, South Korea can’t continue raising heroes and has to rely on one ‘genius’ hero, just as they did in the past. They are unaware of reality. South Korea believes they will once again reach the peak of e-sports.
This reporter thinks that Grid declared he won’t attend the National Competition this year as a wake-up call to the people. Grid will learn humility when South Korea loses this year.]
China’s public opinion was boiling over because of Grid. They started to praise Grid as the hero of the ‘small country’ they had ignored so much. Their superficial reason for praising Grid was the awe they had for the ‘thoughtful hero’, but what was the reality of the situation?
China was joyful because they thought that they could get first or second at the National Competition in Grid’s absence. As the host country, the billions of Chinese people were hoping that China would do as well as they expected.
Then a change happened. In the Battlefield mini-game that was held before the National Competition, there were no Chinese survivors. Yet one of the survivors was Korean. It was Coke—the young blood who had the 10 meritorious retainers as his mentors.
Chapter 940
“Has the South Korean DNA been resurrected?”
There was an upset in the 4th National Competition, even though Grid wasn’t playing for South Korea. Despite predictions that South Korea wouldn’t perform well, the small country of the east had already won two gold medals. South Korea’s first gold medal was won by Yura in ‘Drawing the Saint Sword’, while Coke won the second gold medal in ‘Recapture the Mine.’
“Coke is a monster. From a new rookie to a survivor of Battlefield and the gold medal winner in Recapture the Mine? He is a different person on the genetic level. He is a super ultra genius.”
Battlefield and Recapture the Mine were completely different events. Battlefield was a game focused purely on individual skill while Recapture the Mine was a commanding game where they had to deliver orders to 20 miners in real time and develop a strategy.
Coke’s debut in two different events was overly gorgeous. It might not be as spectacular as Grid’s and Kraugel’s debut, but it could be evaluated as the next best level.
“Yura, Grid, Peak Sword, Jokbal, and now Coke… Look at the skills of the South Korean rankers who have appeared in the past few years. The number of people with SSS-grade talent might only be enough to win a few gold medals, but isn’t this the power of DNA? Kraugel is also a Korean person.”
Many foreign players were agitated. They had stated that this year’s South Korea wasn’t a threat. Thus, Coke’s emergence was a headache. In every interview the foreign players had with the media, they stated that they would get better results than the South Korea Grid had abandoned. Yet it ended up like this on the first day.
The players were already under pressure, but they were now criticized and ridiculed by their own people. In particular, China was in an uproar.
China was the country where Sun Tzu had been born. It was one of the best military strategy books that Chinese rankers studied. The new ‘Recapture the Mine’ event, along with the siege war, was supposed to be a certainty for China. The gold medal in events about strategy would naturally belong to China. That’s why the Chinese people were outraged.
-A gold medal was expected yet only a bronze medal was received?
-Are the Chinese rankers only skilled with using their mouths? It is because they are already full. They receive all sorts of sponsorships and funding from companies. They are too complacent.
-Why else did they give another gold medal to the South Koreans? The number of people in China is 30 times that of their small country. Why are we robbed by them every time in the National Competition? It is normal for there to be more talented people in China, just based on the population ratio!
-It is due to a lack of effort. The Chinese e-sports have been good for so long that the players have become less vigilant and lazy. On the other hand, South Korea has been trying to catch up with China for decades. The difference is big.
-How long do you think an excuse like that will be accepted? It has been four years since the Satisfy National Competition began, and China has been struggling for four years because of a lack of effort? The United States, which is the top e-sports country along with China, has won first or second for the past four years. The Chinese are incompetent. This is the difference in genetics! Let’s achieve a mental victory!
“It is too unfair. The bronze medal is also great.”
In the Chinese waiting room, a girl was holding her knees and looking at the reactions on the Internet. Then she turned off her phone. The cute girl with her hair in double buns, like a panda, was Mei Xiao. She was one of the novices who, together with Zhang Jian and Liao Wei, were receiving the expectations of the Chinese people.
Mei Xiao comforted Li Xuandu, who had come back from the Recapture the Mine event with a bronze medal. “Mister, you worked hard. Don’t worry about what people are saying because they don’t know anything. The players know that you did your best.”
“Thank you.”
However, her attempt to console him was useless. Results were all that mattered. At the age of 40, Li Xuandu was aware of the truths of society. He smiled bitterly at the girl and then apologized, “I’m also sorry.”
Li Xuandu was placed in the category of ‘incompetent Chinese players’ because he didn’t win a gold medal. Furthermore, the nice and kind Mei Xiao came from the same generation of rookies as Coke. For her, the gold medal was taken away by one of her opponents who had made a successful debut, making Li Xuandu’s heart feel heavy.
“Mei Xiao, you planned a spectacular debut, but someone else achieved it first. How unfair must you feel? I can only say I’m sorry.”
“It�
��s okay.” Mei Xiao shook her head and smiled like a flower in full bloom. Despite her young age, she knew that her dream was her own and that she couldn’t rely on others.
‘I will do well. The latter stages are also more advantageous.’
At the 4th National Competition that lasted four days, Mei Xiao’s events were crowded on the fourth day. They were breaking the hero, PvP, and the demon king subjugation. They were all major events. PvP was the most popular event in the world, and the hero of breaking the hero this year was Grid. Thus, interest in breaking the hero was as high as PvP.
Finally, there was the big demon king subjugation event. It was a group event that only 3 to 4 players of each country could participate in, but it was bigger than PvP due to its nature. Mei Xiao was convinced that even if someone else left a strong impression at the beginning of the National Competition, it would eventually fade from the public’s memories. She just had to do well in the final stages.
‘I will do well for Brother’s sake.’
After defeating the hero and competing with Kraugel in the finals of the PvP event, she would impress the world by defeating the demon king. Mei Xiao, who once again made a promise to herself, was the younger sister of Hao, who was absent from the National Competition this year.
She planned to make a splendid debut for her parents, who had adopted her when she was an orphan and raised her as their own child, and her brother, who had grown up with her. The young girl wanted to become a Chinese hero and restore the fallen honor of her brother.
Frankly, she was nervous. Mei Xiao wondered if she could even reach the PvP finals when there was the old legend Haster around. Her dream of being the first in the current generation to gain a gold medal had also been taken by Coke. She felt tense right from the beginning.
“Uwah! It’s okay! I can do it!” Mei Xiao cheered herself up. There were smiles on the faces of Zhang Jian and Liao Wei as they watched her from one side of the waiting room.
‘I can’t let the sister of Hao, who became Kraugel’s dog, do what she wants. I will kill her in one blow if we meet in PvP.’
‘I can defeat the hero faster than her and will monopolize the spotlight in the demon king subjugation.’
This year’s rising stars from China differed in confidence. They were confident that they had the best skills among billions of people and were also full of money from the sponsors. As for South Korea’s Coke…
“Eh? Am I participating in breaking the hero? Of course I’m not. Is there any chance of me breaking the hero?”
He was very humble. No, he had a precise grasp of the opponent. Coke looked at the reporters with pity as they asked questions that couldn’t be answered.
***
Unlike the first day, the second day of the National Competition proceeded smoothly. The United States, Canada, and China won two gold medals each, while the large powers of the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Russia secured large numbers of silver medals.
On the other hand, Brazil won a precious gold medal. It was naturally in the target processing event. The winner was Jishuka. Many people speculated that her noticeably evolved Bow Mastery skill was close to a master level. It was evaluated that few people could threaten Jishuka in target processing when she had the Red Phoenix Bow.
-Jishuka’s senses are crazy. Shooting such arrows at low angles.
-Look at her covering ability…
-How does she know which direction the attacks are flying from? Did she predict them?
-Jishuka is so pretty.
-Isn’t she particularly sexy when pulling the bowstring?
-Isn’t Jishuka always beautiful and sexy?
-Hah! That dog Grid.
-Grid should die.
“Okay!!”
From South Korea, Peak Sword and Toon won silver medals. Peak Sword could’ve won a gold medal until Iyarugt went berserk, so he was unhappy about the silver medal. Meanwhile, Toon was pleased getting a peek at his own potential. Certainly, Toon’s ability in the obstacles race was very commendable. His ability to judge the form and characteristics of the obstacles and transform into various animals to cope with them was to be praised. He would probably play a bigger role next year.
-Peak Sword is really… Why is he cutting through the air alone?
-The silver medal is great enough. I’m proud but it is a pityㅡㅡ;;
-I can’t tell if Peak Sword is a troll or a bigshot.
-Didn’t you see Toon’s extreme gum chewing?
-The person above… you should improve your Korean pronunciation.
-Yes, this is sincere advice.
-By the way, Toon is really good. I am grateful he moved to South Korea.
-That’s right. I also want to thank the government for letting him immigrate and giving him a military exemption.
-…?? It was originally like that.
-Please distinguish between jokes.
-Toon ㅋㅋ He uploaded a photo of him eating jjampong on SNS ㅋㅋ
-Grid likes jjampong and eats it almost every day.ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Isn’t Grid the reason why Toon immigrated to South Korea? Then can other Overgeared members move to South Korea like Toon?
-Please let Jishuka come.
-I will suggest that Euphemina come here.
-Faker moving would be the real jackpot.
-What if the Baldy comes?
-Vantner isn’t bald. He shaved his hair.
-You say he is bald, I say he is Vantner.
-I think that is our Vantner.
This was the best festival that surpassed the Olympics, World Cup, and Super Bowl. The 4th National Competition was a world-class show, regardless of Grid’s absence. New issues occurred every year, and new heroes were born. Some people were frustrated, while others shed tears.
On the third day of the National Competition, the big shots that people were anxiously waiting for finally appeared. They were Zibal, who made the boss raid a ridiculous spectacle by riding on the back of a boss monster to hunt, and Haster, who made his debut in ‘cliff flower’ and used the ‘sound’ of the wind to capture the emerging monsters.
Neither of them were normal; they surpassed common sense. Their attitudes were detached like it was natural for them to win the gold medal. The Americans felt regretful. Kraugel, Haster, and Zibal—these three people had to beat each other to win a gold medal in PvP. The representatives knew that PvP was a source of pride, but two of the three players would be forced to miss out on the gold medal.
『 Ah! It has come! Five players have been hit by the US’ Kraugel! 』
『 Ah! The players have become stars and disappeared. It almost seems like this energy can break through the atmosphere? What type of technique is this? 』
『 It seems like a skill to remove the enemies from the battlefield. It seems to be a very useful skill for Kraugel, who likes to play solo. 』
A person who was called the strongest—Kraugel was still unrivaled. He participated in the siege war with Lauel and didn’t even bring out the sword technique that cut the world. His overwhelming force that made tactics meaningless thrilled the world. People couldn’t understand how this monster had fallen to Grid. Even Lauel, the person closest to Grid, was nervous.
“Kukukuk! You managed to completely control your sword in just one year? You have developed so much that you can’t be compared to last year. You really are the sky… The only people who can excite me are Grid and you.”
“Did you hurt your face?”
“Huh? No…” Lauel lowered the one hand covering his face with embarrassment. It was rare for people to respond as seriously as Kraugel did when they saw Lauel’s ‘black dragon attitude’, and his chuuni atmosphere died down. Lauel coughed and pointed to the north on the map. “The representatives from South Korea in the siege are Yura and Coke. With their tactical ability, they will conquer the seven castles in the north and ally with Japan in the west. We need to move the barracks to the center, even if we give up some camps. Kraugel,
your role at this time is…”
“Wait, South Korea and Japan will be allies?”
“Ahhh, I understand your question. You are wondering why Japan might form an alliance with South Korea when the representative of the siege is the master of the Sakura Guild and not Katz or Damian? They will team up naturally. There are a number of reasons. First of all…”
“…”
Kraugel felt that Grid was great. How had Grid tamed this talkative and lonely genius for so many years? Kraugel preferred playing solo, and his compatibility with Lauel was bad. However, this was just a matter of personality compatibility. The best brains and most powerful strength—their chemistry was perfect.
In the siege war, the United States won a gold medal, China won the silver medal, and Canada won the bronze medal. The alliance between South Korea and Japan thoroughly collapsed in front of Lauel’s evil tactics. They didn’t expect China to accept the United States’ alliance proposal.
The next few events for the day progressed normally. Finally, the fourth day of the National Competition was launched. Breaking through the labyrinth, building blocks, breaking the hero, PvP, and the demon king subjugation events—only the best stages remained on the last day of the festival.
The overall rankings fluctuated in real time.
“The demon king subjugation will have a big impact on the rankings.”
Every time the four heavenly kings and the demon king were beaten, medals would be given to some of the participants.
The score was based on the survival rate, the amount of damage dealt, the amount of damage defended against, the buffs placed on allies, the debuffs placed on enemies, the healing of enemies, and so on. Then the system would distribute a certain amount of gold, silver, and bronze medals accordingly.
It was a benefit that showed the high level of difficulty.
“…Who were the ones who ran their mouths in the interviews?”
There was a private waiting room for only one person. Sitting in the big room, Grid started to search for articles related to himself. The main keywords were ‘ran away’, ‘trash’, ‘hemorrhoids’, and ‘ugly.’ Grid remembered the foreign players who spread all types of rumors about his absence from South Korea. In particular, he remembered the Argentinian person who said the bullshit that ‘Grid has hemorrhoids, which is why he can’t appear in the National Competition.’